


Too Domestic

by NeverlandBae



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: M/M, Prostitution, Sex, Underage - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-01-18 15:08:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1432936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverlandBae/pseuds/NeverlandBae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. In the beginning, Bae isn't very comfortable with the arrangement he has with Killian.</p><p>(I've added Panlix to the relationships since they have become their own story in the process of this fic, but it is mostly Hookfire for those wondering.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope the dialogue isn't too hard to understand, it's a bit different than I usually write. This idea came to me as a flash in a dream. Don't ask me why my mind dreams of teenage prostitutes. Maybe I watch SVU too much. Who knows? As always, you've been warned. Don't read it if underage sex isn't your thing.

 

“How much?”  
  
Baelfire looked up from the screen of his phone at the car that had pulled over near him, and at the man driving. Typical John, late thirties early forties, not handsome but not ugly either. Probably on some fake errand to get away from his wife for an hour. Slipping his phone into the pocket of his jeans, Bae stepped over and leaned down into the open window, shrugging slightly.  
  
“Depends on what you want.”  
  
The man’s eyes darted around nervously. First timer, Bae noted mentally.   
  
“I uh… It’s… You’re not a cop right? You have to tell me if you are.”  
  
Bae rolled his eyes.   
  
“You know that’s bullshit right? Cops, they don’t have to tell you anything. That’s just something someone made up once to make themselves feel better about picking up a whore.”  
  
The man blinked a few times. It wasn’t the best answer to give to a question like that, but it was convincing, because surely a cop wouldn’t have answered in that manner.  
  
“How do we do this?”  
  
He pulled out his wallet.  
  
“Not here.”  
  
Bae shook his head. Amateur hour had begun.  
  
“Go up to the motel on the corner and get a room. They charge by the hour. You’ll probably want to pay cash. Park outside your room and I’ll be there in ten.”  
  
The man nodded, fumbling his wallet back into his pocket. Bae stepped back from the car and pulled his phone back out while the guy drove off. He texted Peter, telling him he picked up a job, and where he would be. Then he started walking.   
  
He was so glad it was getting warm outside. Business slowed down in the winter, too many family gatherings to sneak out for a quickie. Not to mention just how cold it got on a December night in New York City. No one wanted to pick up a whore wearing a parka and mittens. That wasn’t attractive. Skinny jeans and a slightly too small skater shirt though, that did the trick every time.  
  
Bae gave the guy his ten minutes to get ready, then went and found his car, knocking on the door that it was parked in front of. The door cracked open, and his customer peeked out, looking around again as much as he could through the cracked door before hurriedly opening it so Bae could come in and shutting it swiftly behind him.  
  
He made himself comfortable while the John walked nervously to the other side of the room, sitting on the edge of the bed  and wringing his hands together. His nervousness was even getting to Bae it was so bad.  
  
“Relax. You’re stressing me out.”  
  
“Sorry I just. I’m not normally… Well. Uh. I’m Jim.”  
  
“I don’t need to know your name. I need to know what you want.”  
  
“Oh. Sorry. I- Can you? I mean how much is it usually?”  
  
Bae sighed.  
  
“A hand job is twenty. Blow job is fifty. All the way for a hundred. And if it’s something to do with my feet you’re paying extra because that shit’s weird and I’m ticklish.”  
  
Jim blinked again, looking a bit shocked. Bae didn’t think there was any point in trying to be coy about it. It was business. No need to pussyfoot around.   
  
“Um. I guess… all the way? But no feet, that’s uh, not really my… no.”  
  
Bae nodded.  
  
“Your condom or mine?”  
  
“Oh I didn’t. I forgot…”  
  
“That’s why I have mine.”  
  
Bae reached in his back pocket, pulling out the condom and tossing it onto the bed next to the guy. He kicked off his shoes and started undoing his belt with he realized Jim hadn’t moved.   
  
“The meter’s running.”  
  
“Oh. Right, so- okay.”  
  
Jim nodded and began to undress himself. Bae shook his head again, taking his phone from his pocket and putting it on silent before setting it on the table. He pulled his belt free of the loops and dropped it on the floor with his shoes. His shirt and jeans followed.   
  


  
  
When the hour was up, Bae was the first one to get up and get dressed. His client stayed sheepishly under the blankets, hiding himself as if they hadn’t just had sex. When he was dressed, Bae looked at him pointedly.  
  
“Thank you?”  
  
Bae could have pulled his hair out.  
  
“The money.”  
  
“Oh. Right. Sorry.”  
  
Bae rolled his eyes again at another apology while Jim leaned down from the bed, pulling the covers up over himself tighter to pull his wallet from his pants pocket.  
  
“It- it was a hundred? Right.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
He pulled out two fifties, holding them out hesitantly. Bae took them, giving them a quick once over to make sure there was nothing funny about it, then stuffed them in his front pocket. Then he picked up his phone and turned it back on.  
  
“Is that all?”  
  
Bae looked over his shoulder at Jim, clinging to the cheap motel sheets.  
  
“That’s all you paid for.”  
  
When Jim didn’t say anything else, Bae returned his phone to his pocket and left. He walked back down to the street he’d been standing on when Jim had found him. That was Peter’s street, and one of the few streets where you could find a relatively attractive teenage boy willing to sleep with you for cash. The business was dominated by women everywhere else. But Peter, he had plenty of boys at his disposal.   
  
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.  
  
“Any trouble?”  
  
Bae turned to see Peter coming around the corner with Felix close behind. Felix was the muscle, of sorts. He and a few of the other, older boys, kept things in order while Peter ran the show. If a customer got too carried away, or decided to withhold payment, they got to meet Felix. And Felix had ways of making them change their minds.  
  
“Nope.”  
  
Bae pulled out his money and handed it to Peter, who collected it discretely and put it in his pocket. He didn’t bother counting it, he knew Bae would have done that already.  
  
“You’re done out here for the night. Killian called.”  
  
Hearing the name Peter mentioned, Bae sighed, rolling his eyes and shifting his weight onto the opposite foot.   
  
“Don’t be like that, Baelfire.”  
  
“He’s too clingy. He tries to cuddle too much. It’s too domestic.”  
  
“Well he pays good, so give him a cuddle or two.”  
  
“Easy for you to say.”  
  
“What was that?”  
  
“Nothing…”  
  
“Good. Felix will drop you off, and he’ll pick you up in the morning. Behave.”  
  
Felix stepped out from behind Peter and went to Bae’s side. Bae nodded, and he and Felix began the walk to Killian’s apartment building. This arrangement Killian made with Peter, it was weird, Bae thought as they walked, just like he thought every time he went to Killian’s. It wasn’t his typical routine. Killian wasn’t hiding his sexuality from his wife or being secretive to keep his taste for younger men hidden. There were no fetishes or kinks. He was just… lonely. And he only ever asked for Bae. While Bae thought that was some kind of unhealthy obsession, Peter found it to be a great way to make a whole nights worth of profit without having to keep too many tabs on Bae.  
  
“I’ll be here at eight.”  
  
Bae nodded when Felix dropped him off at Killian’s building. The apartment was in a modest part of town, wealthy but not filthy rich like Manhattan. Killian was a teacher at a private school, something he had over-shared during one of their first encounters. Peter had joked that he probably preferred Bae because he resembled one of Killian’s students, which was off limits of course. That just made it weirder, in Bae’s opinion. When the older boy walked away, Bae turned and rang the buzzer to the apartment.   
  
“Yes?”  
  
“It’s Bae.”  
  
“… Come in.”  
  
The buzzer sounded, alerting Bae that the door was unlocked. He opened it and headed inside. The walk to Killian’s door was up three flights of stairs and down a long hallway. Bae opened the door, like Killian had told him to do whenever he came by, and closed it behind him.  
  
“Hello there.”  
  
Killian was coming out of the bathroom, wiping his hands together since he’d just washed them. He always cleaned up before they had sex. Which was strange, to Bae. Who would clean up before sleeping with a prostitute? That was something you did after.  
  
“Hi.”  
  
“Would you like a drink?”  
  
Offering Bae, who was underage, alcohol seemed like the lesser of two evils for Killian. If he was going to go to hell, he was going to make it worth the trouble.   
  
“Yeah. I’m gonna use the bathroom.”  
  
Killian nodded, going back to the kitchen to get them drinks while Bae went down the hall and into the bathroom. He knew the apartment well enough. There were nights when he’d stayed and couldn’t sleep, so he snooped a bit since leaving wasn’t an option until morning. That’s how he learned a lot of what he knew about Killian, after the first incident when he told Killian not to share personal details.  
  
In the bathroom, after he’d relieved himself, Bae turned on the water and washed his hands, then his face. He looked in the mirror and made sure there were no marks left from his last client anywhere. He wasn’t surprised that there weren’t. The guy had barely moved the whole time.   
  
Bae left the bathroom and found Killian in the kitchen with their drinks. He picked up his glass and drank half of it in one sip.  
  
“How are you?”  
  
“Fine.”  
  
“That’s good. How was your day?”  
  
“It was fine.”  
  
Killian nodded. He was used to Bae’s answers by then, but he still asked on the off chance that he’d hear something new.   
  
“Ready?”  
  
“Well I thought we’d at least finish our drinks…”  
  
Bae brought his glass to his lips again, finishing it in a second drink and putting the glass back on the counter.  
  
Killian laughed softly, swirling his own drink around in his glass before he drank it all down.   
  
“Where at?”  
  
“The bedroom tonight, I think. I’m not feeling too adventurous.”  
  
They’d had sex in every room of the house. There wasn’t really a surface left Bae hadn’t been on. The counters in the kitchen, the desk in Killian’s office, the sink in the bathroom. Nothing was sacred anymore. With a nod, he headed to the bedroom, leaving it to Killian to decide when he wanted to follow him.  
  
Bae put his phone on the bedside table, and kicked off his shoes again. The routine barely changed from one client to the other, his clothes just landed in different places. That was, when he undressed himself anyway. Some liked the thrill of doing that themselves. He was undoing his jeans when he heard a shuffling noise by the door. He looked over his shoulder and saw Killian leaning in the doorframe.   
  
He moved slower, knowing that he was being watched, shimmying his jeans down his legs and bending them over to pull them off of his feet. When he straightened up again, he walked casually over to Killian, reaching for the top of his shirt to begin on his buttons. The older man didn’t necessarily need to be coerced. He just liked the attention, Bae thought. His slim fingers moved gracefully along the buttons, slipping them from their loops quickly.  
  
Bae could feel Killian’s breath on his cheek, and he knew the other was leaning in closer and closer. He pulled his shirt bottom free of his pants, and looked up as he started undoing Killian’s belt. Killian was too close, Bae realized, and being that close, he was at risk of one of Killian’s weaknesses. Bae turned his head just in time for Killian’s lips to land on his cheek. He felt the sigh escape his clients lips when he realized what he had done.  
  
“Sorry.”  
  
“It’s fine.”  
  
The belt was pulled free and tossed out of the way. Killian took a shaky breath while Bae’s fingers went to work on his zipper, pulling it down painfully slow. Bae slipped his hands beneath the waistband of his pants and pushed them down over his legs slowly, kneeling down to pull them off as Killian lifted his feet one by one. Bae stood up again, and Killian grabbed him by the hips, pulling their bodies flush together. Bae was still on guard in case of anymore misguided kisses. But Killian remembered himself, and let his hands brush over Bae’s waist and his arms.   
  
Bae ran his fingers up along Killian’s chest, through his chest hair and up to his shoulders. He traced gentle shapes on the older man’s collarbones, knowing he needed lots of touching to get in the mood. He assumed kissing was more Killian’s style long ago, but that wasn’t allowed, so this is what worked best for them. Killian’s hands made their way up to his hair, stroking it almost lovingly before tangling both fists in it firmly. Bae made a soft noise, his eyes closing. He didn’t like clients messing with his hair, because he liked it too much. But he let Killian get away with it, because he didn’t just yank on it. He treasured it, twisting the locks though his fingers and grazing his dull nails over Bae’s scalp, sending shivers down the boys spine.   
  
Killian stepped forward and Bae stepped back, leading the way to the bed. Bae sat down and laid back, and Killian knelt next to him, his hands still touching whatever skin they could reach. The teen turned his head, anticipating Killian’s next move. He dipped down, ghosting his lips over Bae’s neck and brushing Bae’s ear with his nose. Bae moved his hand, touching the inside of Killian’s thigh gently before tracing his way up, fondling him through his boxers. He felt the sharp intake of air against his jaw before Killian’s mouth moved to the other side, giving Bae more to touch.   
  
Bae turned his head to the other side, exposing more soft skin for Killian to press his lips against while Bae’s hand worked on him slowly. Had he not known some of the details he did, Killian would be the perfect client. He was handsome. He had the right moves, and was polite all the time. He never gave Bae trouble with paying, or anything else. He appreciated what Bae did. All of which Bae appreciated. Until Killian inevitably got too close.  
  
Killian took Bae’s hand away, pinning it gently above his head on the blanket. Bae tilted his head back, closing his eyes while Killian’s lips traced imaginary lines across his collarbones and chest. The boy sighed, almost contently. At least that was one thing he didn’t have to worry about while he was there. He was safe. He could relax. No looking over his shoulder for someone who could bust him, or rob him, or rape him, or worse. None of it. Just Killian, and in that aspect, he liked the arrangement with Killian.   
  
Bae gasped and bit his lip to muffle a soft moan as he felt Killian’s free hand slip under the elastic of his boxer briefs. With the hand Killian wasn’t holding, Bae pushed his underwear down, lifting his hips to push them the rest of the way and kick them onto the floor. Killian’s hands were suddenly nowhere to be felt, and his weight beside him was gone. Bae opened his eyes and saw Killian standing, ridding himself of his boxers and pulling something from the drawer. The condom. Bae had almost forgotten. Peter would never let him hear the end of that.   
  
He sat up and scooted over, giving Killian room to sit on the bed. He sat with his back to the headboard, opening the condom just so Bae could snatch it from him. He crawled up into Killian’s lap carefully, the elder’s hands returning to touch and caress his stomach and hips while Bae put the condom on Killian with expert hands. He felt Killian sigh, and watched his eyes close, like he was finally forgetting himself and whatever worries he had from life.   
  
Bae spit into his hand and returned it to Killian, stroking gently a few more times before wiping his hand on the blanket. He used Killian’s shoulder for balance as he moved up onto his knees, his bare stomach pressed to Killian’s chest. Killian kissed the middle of Bae’s chest. Bae wished he wouldn’t do that, those soft little kisses and touches, the ones that should be saved for someone you loved and not someone you met semi-casually for purchased sex. Killian reached between them and he felt him adjusting himself. The hand on his hip guided him down slowly.  
  
Bae bit his lip again, closing his eyes as he settled into Killian’s lap. Killian’s hands remained, one on his hip, one on his thigh, holding him closer than they should have been. Not wanting to get too comfortable sitting there like that, Bae started to move his hips, drawing soft noises from Killian as he leaned back against the headboard. Bae held onto the headboard behind Killian’s head for support as he moved faster, biting back more moans. Killian’s neighbors couldn’t get suspicious.   
  
“You’re beautiful.”  
  
Bae let go of the headboard with one hand, pressing his finger to Killian’s lips.  
  
“Shh.”  
  
His lips were soft, a sharp contrast to the scruff on his cheeks, Bae noticed idly. Probably nice to kiss too. But Bae didn’t kiss customers. He didn’t kiss anyone. Killian’s hands were roaming again, one running along his lower back, and one on his shoulder, touching his neck carefully as they moved together. Bae took his hand from Killian’s lips and held onto his shoulder, tilting his head back, his curly hair falling away from his eyes.   
  
“Bae…”  
  
Bae said nothing, keeping his words to himself and letting nothing but heavy breaths and the occasional moan escape his lips. Killian didn’t want his usual dirty talk. He wanted sweet nothings and passionate whispers, and Bae couldn’t do that. His eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on what he was doing and not letting his thoughts of sad Killian kill his mood.   
  
His grip on Killian’s shoulder tightened and he let out a surprised gasp when he felt Killian’s hand around him. Another way Killian was different from the rest. They never cared of Bae got off or not, they weren’t paying for that.   
  
Bae’s expert movements were starting to become less coordinated as Killian’s hand moved faster. Suddenly Killian’s hand was gone, and they were both back on Bae’s hips, pulling him down as he thrusted his hips upwards. Bae felt Killian’s hands trembling. His rocked his hips rougher and his gasps grew louder as he closed his eyes again. Killian’s grip on Bae’s hips tightened further still and with a final shout he felt Killian’s body tense with release.   
  
Bae hurried his pace again.  
  
“Beautiful Bae.”   
  
He felt Killian’s lips ghost over his cheek, dangerously close to his lips. Killian’s hand was on him again, and with just a few strokes, Bae cursed under his breath, his muscles tensing wonderfully as his release spilled over Killian’s stomach.   
  
Their hips slowly came to a stop, and Bae was left panting against Killian’s sweat dampened forehead. In a sudden moment of clarity, he opened his eyes and saw Killian’s icy blue ones staring back at him. Too close. He moved his head to Killian’s shoulder, gathering his breath while Killian’s hands gently grazed the small of his back. As soon as he could move and not a second longer, Bae got up from Killian’s lap and got off the bed, scratching the back of his neck idly while he looked around the room for his clothes. He picked up his underwear and put them back on.  
  
“Bathroom.”  
  
Bae made his way through the house again, to the bathroom. There was one in Killian’s bedroom, but Bae didn’t use that one. He used the guest bathroom. Inside, he washed up and stared in the mirror for a few minutes, trying to convince himself that he hadn’t had some kind of loving touch induced orgasm. It was just sex, and that was the result. That was all. He still had to spend the night with Killian. The last thing he needed was awkwardness.   
  
Leaving the bathroom, Bae returned to the bedroom, knowing that’s where the night would end. Killian was just coming out of his own bathroom, back in his boxers and cleaned up as well.   
  
“Do you want some pajamas?”  
  
“I’m fine like this.”  
  
Killian nodded, getting the same answer he always did. In the back of his mind he knew how Bae felt about the requests he made. He paid Peter extra to make Bae spend the whole night with him, and he knew it was terribly pathetic of him, to need to pay for someone to share his bed with him and actually stay through the night. He pulled the covers down for both of them. Bae grabbed his phone and took it around to the other side of the bed, climbing in and putting it on the side table while Killian left the room.   
  
After making sure the door was locked and the lights were out, Killian returned to the bedroom and got into bed as well.   
  
“Goodnight Bae.”  
  
“Night.”  
  
He turned off the lamp and laid there on his back for a few moments. Bae had his back turned to him, facing the wall with the blankets pulled up over his shoulder. When he couldn’t wait any longer, Killian took his pillow and scooted over toward the middle of the bed, closing the distance between them. He didn’t cuddle Bae, knowing the boy didn’t like it. He usually woke up like that, it was never intentional.   
  
When Bae thought he heard Killian sleeping, he grabbed his phone and turned it on, checking his messages and then playing a game.   
  
“You’re not tired?”  
  
Hearing Killian speak startled him a little. The man had been breathing so softly he could’ve sworn he was asleep.  
  
“I slept late this morning so I’m not really tired yet.”  
  
“I’ll stay up with you then.”   
  
“No, it’s fine, really. You have to work in the morning. I’m fine.”  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
“Yup.”  
  
“Alright…”  
  
Killian settled back down into his pillow, watching Bae’s face in the glow of his cellphone. He needed help, he thought to himself. This wasn’t natural. But it was really all he had. The thoughts faded as sleep overtook him. Bae continued his game for a bit until the light from the screen started hurting his eyes. He put the phone back on the table, rubbing his eyes and yawning softly. Maybe he was sleepy enough, he thought.  
  
Bae turned onto his side, facing Killian’s sleeping form. The older man came into focus as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He blinked sleepily, and finally closed his eyes to drift off to sleep.

 

  
  
He woke up feeling warm and comfortable. His face was pressed against something. As his consciousness stirred, things started making sense. His eyes fluttered open to reveal the source of the problem. Killian.   
  
He’d pulled Bae close sometime in the night, wrapping his arms around the boy. In his sleep, Bae didn’t protest, and from the way they were laying, he had given in. His head rested on Killian’s shoulder, his face pressed against Killian’s neck while the older man snored softly.   
  
The room wasn’t completely lit yet, just barely. The sun was still rising, leaving the room in a dull grey glow. Bae began to unwork their puzzle of body parts carefully, trying not to stir Killian. When he was free, he sat up and stretched, checking his phone. It was just a few minutes shy of seven o’clock. He had no new messages. Bae dropped the phone onto the blankets in his lap and closed his eyes, swaying ever so slightly as sleep begged him to return.   
  
A loud buzzer startled him, and he nearly jumped from the bed, turning wide-eyed to see Killian reach out and hit the alarm button.  
  
“Shit.”  
  
Bae rubbed his eyes again, feeling his heart racing a bit. He sniffled, raising his eyebrows and blinking a few times.  
  
“Sorry. I thought you’d expect it.”  
  
Killian sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He stood up and stretched, scratching his head and ruffling his hair as he turned to Bae.  
  
“I have to get in the shower. Help yourself to something to eat if you’d like.”  
  
Bae nodded, taking another deep breath and falling back into the pillows. He wasn’t a morning person. Killian didn’t seem to mind them so much. After a few minutes, Bae rolled out of the bed. He got his jeans and pulled them back on, hopping on one foot for a second and almost falling over in his morning fog. He decided against the rest of his clothes for the time being, and went to find something to drink.  
  
Killian’s fridge was surprisingly full for a single man living alone. He had a few different varieties of juice, which Bae was always glad of. He wasn’t fond of milk. Juice was his morning go-to. He poured a glass of orange juice. He heard a beep, looking up to see the coffee pot turn on and start to brew. It must be on a timer. Convenient, he thought as he drank his juice. He leaned against the counter, drinking almost the whole glass down.   
  
In the cabinets, he found cereal that he didn’t want, and bread that he didn’t want to bother toasting. Finally, Bae stumbled upon some granola bars. He grabbed one and opened it, taking a bite as he walked idly around the main room of the apartment. Killian’s apartment had a nice view. Bae watched as the city roared to life, people leaving their houses, the street become overcrowded with taxis and trucks. Kids were walking to school, giggling and talking amongst themselves.   
  
“Do you want some coffee?”  
  
Bae turned around. He hadn’t heard Killian come out of the bedroom.  
  
“No.”  
  
“I see you found my granola. It’s supposed to be healthy but I cheat and get the kind with chocolate chips.”  
  
Killian smiled, attempting to make pleasant morning talk with Bae. The teen just nodded, taking another bite and returning to the kitchen for his juice while Killian fixed his coffee.   
  
“What time is he picking you up?”  
  
“Eight.”  
  
“That’s when I leave. I could just drive you.”  
  
“It’s fine.”  
  
Killian nodded, taking a sip of his coffee and watching Bae finish his juice. Bae was always amused to see Killian’s teacher clothes, and had it not been so early, he might have commented about them.   
  
“I have to get dressed.”  
  
Bae left his glass on the counter and went back to the bedroom to gather his things. He pulled his clothes and shoes on, and put his phone in his pocket. He stopped in the guest bathroom again to splash some water on his face and fix his hair.   
  
Back in the kitchen, he saw the wall clock said he had fifteen minutes until eight. Killian had gone to put his shoes on as well, and had a bag full of books and papers sitting on the counter ready to go.   
  
“What grade do you teach?”  
  
Killian was surprised to hear that question from Bae. He was the one who hadn’t wanted details to begin with.  
  
“Tenth grade. Biology.”   
  
Bae didn’t point out that he hadn’t asked what subject. He was trying to do the math in his head. If he were in school still, he was pretty sure that would be his grade as well. Maybe Peter’s suspicions weren’t so far off after all.   
  
Killian pulled some folded bills from his pocket and handed them to Bae. Three hundred. Bae didn’t need to count it. That was just about, if not more, than he would normally make in a night. Plus the hundred he’d made earlier, and he’d had a pretty good night. He put the money in his pocket and took his phone out to text Felix.  
  
“I’m going to go wait outside. He should be here soon.”   
  
“I’ll walk with you. I’m ready to go anyway.”  
  
Bae didn’t protest. He sent his text while Killian finished his coffee. He put both his cup and Bae’s glass in the sink, and picked up his bag. When the strap was over his shoulder, he took his keys and went to the door. Bae lead the way out of the apartment. Killian locked the door and started down the stairs next to Bae.  
  
Once outside, Bae looked around, seeing no sign of Felix yet.   
  
“Should I wait with you?”  
  
“No. I’ll be fine.”  
  
“Alright.”  
  
Killian nodded, hesitating even though Bae had told him be could go.   
  
“See you soon.”  
  
“Bye.”  
  
And with that, Killian headed to his car and got in. He put his bag in the passenger seat and started the car. Once traffic cleared, he gave one last look in the mirror, seeing Felix walking up to Bae, then pulled away from the curb.  
  
“Did you have fun on your sleepover?”  
  
“Shut up.”  
  
Felix smirked. He found it amusing to tease Bae about his favorite customer. Bae walked past him and Felix turned to follow him and catch up as they headed back to Peter’s.  
  



	2. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look back at how Killian met Bae, and how their arrangement began.

 

Killian hadn’t been looking for anything in particular the time he first saw Bae. He wasn’t even sure how he’d found that street, lined with boys standing casually, talking amongst themselves and the occasional passing car. It might appear innocent to an outsider, but the locals knew what was going on. As a high school teacher, it was not the kind of place he could be seen in. That was just asking for a scandal. So Killian promptly began searching for the first sign of an exit street to turn onto.  
  
The first one he found was blocked by a parked car. Killian huffed a bit, fingers tapping his steering wheel nervously as he wanted for the people inside to finish whatever they were doing so he could move. Finally, the passenger door opened. A boy stepped out, straightening his belt before closing the door behind him. He turned around for a moment when the older man in the car said something, and he could see the boy’s lips moving. His eyebrows were drawn close, he looked annoyed at whatever the man was saying.  
  
Killian’s eyes went back and forth between them, trying to read their lips and failing until Bae said a few choice words that he could definitely read before turning to walk away from the car. The man honked, slapping the horn in short, loud blasts. The boy never looked back, walking straight by Killian’s car and around to the other side of the street. Killian found himself almost turning in his seat to watch where the boy went before he remembered himself. He was supposed to be escaping, not browsing the merchandise. Ahead of him, the car he’d been waiting for was gone, and he put pressure back on the gas pedal to continue his way out of the neighborhood.  
  
  
  
  
The second time Killian saw Bae, he had been looking. It was two weeks later, and his brain would not let him forget the boy with curly brown hair. Every moment he wasn’t consumed with work or something else, he was thinking of the boy. Barely a boy, he thought to himself. The teen had something about his features as he passed his car that day, around his eyes mostly, that told Killian he hadn’t been just a boy in quite some time.  
  
Killian had disguised himself, which meant donning a ratty old baseball cap from the back of his closet and a pair of sunglasses. He parked at the end of the street, close to where he’d first seen the boy, and hoped his car was generic enough to not get noticed. It was just starting to get dark, and the streetlights were flickering on one by one down the street. Boys walked back and forth, but not the one he was looking for. As he watched, he began to wonder just why these boys did what they did. Were they homeless? They didn’t look homeless, they all looked well taken care of. Bored, maybe? No, he couldn’t see boredom causing this much promiscuity. They all knew each other, they all talked. Not one of them stood alone as far as he could see. That was, until he saw the one he was looking for.  
  
He stood alone, leaned against a streetlight with his hands in his pockets. Killian didn’t know how he’d appeared without him noticing. He had been watching pretty carefully. He sat up in his seat, leaning against the steering wheel to better see the young man. A few cars passed, and he watched as they drove by him, slowing down some. He secretly hoped they wouldn’t stop, not for him anyway.  
  
There was no time for him to question his thoughts, because a sharp knock on his window had him jumping back from the wheel, sitting straight up in his seat. He’d been caught, he thought in a panic. He needed an excuse. Fast. Nothing came to mind. All of that went through his mind before he even turned to look at just who had caught him.  
  
It was another boy, older and taller than the rest of them. He had blonde hair, which looked slightly wild, and a scar that ran the length of his face. He was staring at Killian, and then brought his hand up to motion for Killian roll down his window. Killian obliged, though he couldn’t explain why.  
  
“It’s free to look, but you can’t just park here and stare all night. You either pick one or you leave.”  
  
Killian blinked, realizing he was talking about the boys.  
  
“Oh. It’s not like that. I was just…”  
  
He had no explanation, his brain had failed to come up with one. The smirk on the boy’s lips made him feel uncomfortable.  
  
“Sure you weren’t. It’s not my job to watch out for creeps trying to get a freebie or anything…”  
  
Killian could feel the sarcasm in the youth’s words. So he was, what? Their shepherd? Keeping them in order and watching for the wolves.  
  
“I was looking for someone I met the other night.”  
  
It was a lie, he hadn’t met him. But it sounded a lot better than saying he was looking for a boy he’d spotted getting out of a car.  
  
“I saw who you were looking for.”  
  
The boy had a condescending tone, looking at Killian like he could read his mind. He had no idea just how serious this boy took his job, and just how well he kept tabs on who went where with who and how long they took. He took it very seriously.  
  
“He’s expensive. If you want cheap, you have to go to the other end of the street. But whatever you do, you have to pick, or you have to leave. You’re taking up space someone else that wants to pay could have.”  
  
Killian wasn’t sure what to think, or what to say. He couldn’t just pick up this boy, could he? No, of course not. It was doubly illegal, and he was a teacher. A member of society, one that needed to have a pristine reputation. And he had, up until then.  
  
“So? Do you want him or not?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
What? Did he just say yes? He’d spit it out so fast he wasn’t sure if it had been in his head or not.  
  
“Pull over there into the alley. He’ll be there in a minute.”  
  
The boy left before Killian could protest, or tell him he changed his mind. He was already walking away, in the direction of the lone boy under the street light. Killian cursed, putting his car in gear. He could just tell the boy when he came over, he decided, turning down the alley and parking. There were a few cars parked near him, but no streetlights. It was dark. He supposed that was the point.  
  
Killian looked at the cars around him, wondering who was in them. Anyone he knew? Someone else well known in the community maybe, someone more scandalous than himself. He could only hope. When his passenger door opened, his heart skipped a beat. There was some shuffling, then the door closed. Killian turned, and was met with the same eyes he’d wondered about for the past two weeks. The silence that followed was bordering awkward when the boy finally spoke up.  
  
“What’s it gonna be?”  
  
“What’s what?”  
  
The boy paused, then huffed.  
  
“What do you want me to do?”  
  
“You don’t have to do anything… I was just going to-”  
  
“Look, it’s early. I can’t deal with weird stuff right now, alright? If you want someone to talk to, then you have to go find someone else. I have to make money.”  
  
Killian was obviously giving off strange vibes. How could he blame the boy though? He was the one being weird and saying he didn’t want anything after getting the boy into his car. He imagined these boys ran into all sorts of strange requests.  
  
“I don’t want to talk. I tried to tell your friend-”  
  
“He’s not my friend.  Let’s try it this way. How much money do you have?”  
  
Killian wasn’t even sure of that. He never kept much cash on him, that wasn’t a smart idea living in New York City.  
  
“Uh.”  
  
He reached for his wallet, thumbing through the bills after he’d opened it.  
  
“A little under forty dollars.”  
  
The boy reached past him, taking a twenty, and leaving the other bills untouched.  
  
“This is what you can afford.”  
  
The boy tucked the money into his back pocket and scooted closer. He turned, resting his arm on Killian’s seat while his other hand was on the zipper of his pants. Killian was not prepared for the rush of confusion that hit him. He froze, failing to continue explaining that he hadn’t wanted anything. The way the boy moved, taking the money and getting right to business without so much as another question, had Killian puzzled. His bewilderment was short lived though, as he was brought back to the present by the feeling of a slightly chilly hand slipping into his pants. He gasped, looking between the boy’s hand and his face. Was it too late to turn back?  
  
“I didn’t mean-”  
  
“Shh….”  
  
Killian shut his mouth. He’d been shushed, by a boy not much older than the ones he taught, and who currently had his hand working to get him hard. The passenger side door of a car parked on the opposite side of the street opened and closed as one of the other boys left, and the owner started to car. The headlights flooded Killian’s car with light, and even disguised he felt vulnerable to being seen. He turned his head, raising a hand to block the light, and blocking any chance of his face being seen. This couldn’t happen, not here. It wasn’t supposed to happen at all, but if he was going to go down this path, the setting was wrong. Killian didn’t like it.  
  
“Stop.”  
  
He pushed the boys hand away from him. The boy looked at him funny, an eyebrow quirked. It probably wasn’t a reaction he was used to at all. Someone as beautiful as he was, getting turned down by a suspicious man in an alley. Killian would bet that didn’t happen often.  
  
“Listen, if you’re going to be coming here, you should really make up your mind before you get here. Peter doesn’t like strange behavior.”  
  
“Peter?”  
  
“Do you want your money back? I have to go.”  
  
The boy was already digging in his back pocket.  
  
“Keep it.”  
  
Killian didn’t want Bae getting in any kind of trouble for not making a sale, if that’s how it went anyway. He couldn’t be sure of the mechanics of that kind of business. Bae left the money in his pocket and reached for the door handle when Killian grabbed his wrist.  
  
“Wait.”  
  
The teen’s gaze went to Killian’s hand on his wrist, then up to Killian’s eyes.  
  
“Let go.”  
  
“This isn’t-”  
  
“Now.”  
  
Killian hesitated, but he knew it wasn’t a good idea to hold the boy hostage. He let go, and the boy was out of the car quicker than he’d appeared inside of it. Killian sighed, resting back into his seat again. What a sight he must be, he thought, zipping his pants again. Catching sight of himself in the rearview mirror, he glared at himself for a second. How could he have put himself into this position? And then he berated himself for that thought too. What was he even doing here, if not for something like that? You don’t go chasing a prostitute if you don’t want something from them. He didn’t even know what he wanted.  
  
A sharp knock on the window, sounding exactly like the one he’d gotten earlier, interrupted his mental argument and he turned to see a familiar face with a familiar scar. Killian sighed and rolled down the window. The boy was standing on the street behind the older boy, hands tucked in his pockets as he watched.  
  
“Bae says you had a problem, something about being grabby when he tried to leave?”  
  
Bae. What a strange name. Maybe it was a nickname, or short for something longer. It might not even be a real name at all. But it was interesting. Nothing like the ordinary names he heard all day long. Before he could get too lost in wondering about the boy’s name, he formulated an answer for the incident.  
  
“I didn’t mean any harm. I wanted to ask him a question, but I went about it the wrong way, I know that now.”  
  
He looked past the older boy and to Bae.  
  
“I’m sorry.”  
  
Bae shifted his weight, looking down at the concrete after Killian apologized, then he nodded slightly, and walked off back down the street. The older boy didn’t seem pacified with his answer, and looked even more curious than before.  
  
“What did you want to ask him exactly?”  
  
“Well… I was just wondering if this whole alley parking thing was the only way this sort of business… happened.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because it’s… well it’s not very private. What if someone drove down here? A cop?”  
  
“The cops don’t drive through here.”  
  
“They could… You should look into protecting your customers’ privacy.”  
  
The boy raised his eyebrow, smirking at Killian.  
  
“Normally our customers aren’t looking for privacy, they want a quick hand job after work and before going home.”  
  
Killian was unable to answer that, because a figure emerged from the shadows between the buildings behind the boy he was speaking to, as if he’d just materialized there.  
  
“Felix?”  
  
The boy with the scar turned around hearing the other speak. As he came closer, Killian realized it was yet another boy. Were there no adults on this whole street?  
  
“I was on my way, I just had to stop and talk to a customer.”  
  
The boy with the scar explained quickly to the new boy. He had dark blonde looking hair, and a stern expression from what Killian could see in the dark alley.  
  
“Talk about what?”  
  
“The privacy of the alley seems to be his main concern.”  
  
The new boy looked into the car at Killian, giving him a once over.  
  
“Leave us, Felix. Go get a count.”  
  
Felix nodded, walking away without another word. The new boy was watching from the same distance for a second before he decided to speak up.  
  
“What seems to be the problem with our privacy?”  
  
His gaze made Killian uneasy. He hadn’t expected this to turn into some kind of management complaint. He’d just wanted something to tell Felix to excuse him from grabbing Bae.  
  
“Nothing. I have to go.”  
  
The boy looked at him strangely as he started the car. But he didn’t say anything else. Killian put the car in gear, and pulled away.  
  
  
  
  
  
Killian told himself he was insane the third time he went to try to see Bae, over and over, staring in the mirror the whole time he drove. You’re insane. This is crazy. Turn around and go home. But he kept driving. Almost three weeks had passed that time, and Killian had waited as long as he possibly could before going back.  
  
He donned the same attempt of a disguise as he had last time and drove to the corner where he knew Bae would be hanging around. When he didn’t see the curly hared boy, he parked and waited. It didn’t take long before he was noticed. Felix and the bossy boy were both outside, talking between each other but both staring intently at Killian’s car.  
  
Killian noticed them noticing just about the time they made it to his door. Felix knocked, and the other boy smiled. He rolled down the window to see what the boys had to say this time.  
  
“Hello Killian.”  
  
“He- What? How… how do you know my name?”  
  
“I make it a point to get to know my customers. It’s good business.”  
  
It seemed this time he was going to be the one talking, with Felix just standing to the side. Killian could only guess at a few ways they could have found out his name.  
  
“I’m just looking for now.”  
  
“Well there’s plenty to look at.”  
  
“I know. I just, I haven’t seen anything I want yet.”  
  
“If I recall correctly, last time you were here you were concerned with being seen. Has something changed?”  
  
Killian didn’t know how to answer that, because he hadn’t even thought of that detail again since the last time. Even if it had just been an excuse to begin with, if he was going to be here more often he needed to take more precaution.  
  
“Not really.”  
  
“Could you come inside with me, Killian? We’ll figure out what‘s best for your situation, but I don’t want to have a conversation like this out here in the open.”  
  
Killian hesitated on answering again. It was only natural for him to assume the worst, so he didn’t know how good of an idea it would be to go into the building with the boy. But, he reminded himself, if it were true and this boy wanted to help him, it could prove more than useful. It would get him time with Bae. Maybe he’d even get to speak to the boy. He took that moment to remind himself how creepy he sounded when he thought like that. Killian took his keys, and got out of the car to follow him inside with Felix close behind.  
  
The room he was lead to was nice. It was an office, but it wasn’t stuffy or filled with books and certificates. There were comfortable couches and a big screen television. There was a fish tank casting a bright green glow through the room. On the far wall, Killian saw another desk with security monitors. He could see headlights in a few of them, telling him they were outside. He didn’t remember seeing cameras, but it explained how they knew his name. They must have seen his license plate and looked it up somehow.  
  
“Have a seat, Killian.”  
  
Instead of sitting in the chair behind the desk, the boy leaned against the front of it, staying close to the seats available for Killian to sit in. He chose the one furthest from the desk. Felix went to go look at some of the cameras, then came to join them, sitting on the arm of a couch near the door.  
  
“So, you never really explained what the problem was last time.”  
  
“I was just worried about being seen, that’s all.”  
  
“You don’t have to park in the alley, you know. There’s a motel right down the road.”  
  
“That won’t work. I can’t be seen parked here. Walking into a hotel room with an underage boy is something I definitely can’t risk.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Can I ask a question for once? Who are you? Shouldn’t I be speaking to whoever is in charge here?”  
  
“You are speaking to the person in charge. I’m Peter. Peter Pan. I own… well, this business and just about everything else on this block. People included.”  
  
Killian was a bit shocked at that.  
  
“How old are you?”  
  
“Not important. Now, who are you that people would care who you’re fucking in your spare time?”  
  
Killian couldn’t help his hesitation in answering. He didn’t know if he could trust Peter with that kind of information, but he supposed if they really wanted to, they had enough information to turn him in already.  
  
“A teacher. At a school parents pay a lot of money to send their kids to, meaning I walk a very thin line. There’s no room for error.”  
  
“Oh… Scandalous. That explains a few things.” Peter said, quirking an eyebrow and turning to give Felix a look. Killian didn’t know just how to read that look. Felix apparently had gotten the message, because his smirk had returned. He got up and went around the desk to a computer, typing something in quietly while Peter kept his attention on Killian.  
  
“So you can see why I’m concerned.”  
  
“Oh, I certainly can. We have other clients like that, ones that we give certain allowances to, because of their public relations issues. But, privileges like those come with a price.”  
  
“What kind of privileges?”  
  
“The kind where I have one of my boys delivered to your house, which is a lot less suspicious than being parked on my block. And you’ll have a fool-proof excuse if anyone does happen to spot him there.”  
  
“What excuse could I possibly have for having a boy in my home?”  
  
“Well for you, I’d have a note written up from a guardian saying you’re giving him private tutoring. You’re a teacher, it’s believable. And convenient because it’s probably the easiest plan I’ve ever had to think of.”  
  
Killian pondered for a minute. His apartment building wasn’t overly friendly. He could only think of two neighbors that he would bother saying hello to if he passed them in the halls, and he only knew the name of one. So it was safe to say that barely any of them knew him or would care who came and went through his door.  
  
“Felix, did you find it?”  
  
Killian looked up when Peter spoke, then over to the scar-faced boy at the computer, wondering what they were talking about.  
  
“Yup. West 114th street.”  
  
“Which end?”  
  
“In Morningside, by the park.”  
  
Killian blinked. That’s where he lived.  
  
“How did you find that? What are you people, spies?”  
  
Peter laughed.  
  
“I told you. I like to get to know my customers. You don’t live too far away. We could have a boy dropped off and picked up a few hours later. Or whenever you’d like. But of course, the longer you take the more money you’ll pay.”  
  
Killian almost brushed off the idea of asking how much it would cost him for a whole night. It was weird. But then again, so was wanting to have sex with a teenage boy. He would bet Peter had heard stranger requests.  
  
“How much for a whole night? Until morning?”  
  
Peter looked at him strangely. Maybe he’d been wrong in his guess, Killian thought for a moment, until Peter recovered from his curiousness.  
  
“That depends on what boy it is. You’ll have to give me a price range or a general look that you like, something so I know who to send.”  
  
“He likes Bae.”  
  
Killian glared at Felix for spilling his secret, while the boy just smirked from behind the desk.  
  
“Do you? Well I can’t say I blame you. Bae’s beautiful. I can’t say I have many as nice as him.”  
  
Killian was still glaring at Felix when the boy broke his stare to look at Peter when he heard him complimenting Bae.  
  
“Nice?”  
  
“You know what I mean, Felix.”  
  
Killian saw Felix almost just barely roll his eyes before looking back at the computer screen, seeming uninterested in continuing the discussion on Bae. So Peter went on.  
  
“I have another one that has the same style, if that’s what you’re looking for. Not as pretty in the face as Bae, but similar.”  
  
“It’s not really the looks I like. I just… I mean he is- but that’s not…”  
  
Killian shrugged.  
  
“This isn’t a dating service. You know that, right?”  
  
“I do.”  
  
“Good. Don’t get attached, it’s just for sex. You can’t expect feelings from these boys. That’s not what they’re interested in.”  
  
“I understand.”  
  
Peter had of course run into plenty of customers that wanted more than just sex, but his boys knew better. They were working, and working meant earning money not spending unnecessary time with anyone. But Peter never failed to take advantage of it from the customer’s side, and charge extra when he knew they had a favorite.  
  
“So, it’s just Bae then?”  
  
Killian nodded.  
  
“If you wanted him the whole night, I’ll let you do it for three hundred. That’s delivered, so you don’t have to come down here and pick him up. No haggling because that’s just about average for him on a weeknight, even a little below if he’s doing good. If it’s Friday, or Saturday night, it’ll be five hundred.”  
  
Those were big numbers, Killian thought to himself. But he supposed it was adequate given that a whole night meant more than just a quickie in a car. Fair wages for fair work. Then he caught what Peter had aid about that being Bae’s average for a weeknight. He had only taken twenty from Killian last time, for what he assumed was going to be a hand job. Just how many of those did Bae have to give to earn that kind of money in a night? But there were other things, more expensive things. Killian preferred not to guess at how many other customer Bae had to have in a single night to make his average.  
  
“Do we have an agreement, Killian?”  
  
He sighed heavily, rubbing his brow with his thumb and forefinger. If he said yes, he was going to hell. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. But if he said no, he’d never get to see the beautiful boy who’d captivated him at first sight again. And being alone all the time could get to a person.  
  
“We do.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. That's right, cliffhanger until the next chapter, which won't take long to finish.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is now a bonus side-story to go along with this.

 

 

Killian’s apartment hadn’t been so clean in weeks. He was pretty sure it wasn’t customary to clean when one was expecting the kind of visitor he was waiting on, but he wanted his home to look presentable. He’d also showered. Twice. And checked his breath. It was like getting ready for a date, he thought to himself, only he hadn’t done that in quite a while and he would say his level of nervousness was twice as high. He was still anxious about the legalities of it, he couldn’t put that aside just yet.  
  
He was straightening the items on his entry table for the sixth time when he heard his buzzer. Killian looked at the little box like he expected it to be someone standing there. Then he remembered he had to answer. Nearly tripping over the table leg, Killian forced himself to walk to the door and hit the button.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
“Mr. Jones?”  
  
Felix. Killian knew that voice by now.  
  
“Yes…”  
  
“I’ve got your new student here.”  
  
He could hear the smirk in the boy’s voice.  
  
“I‘ll unlock the door.”  
  
Killian hit the entry button to open the lock and allow Bae inside. He wiped his palms on his pants, just to make sure they weren’t clammy because with the way he was feeling, he wouldn’t be surprised if they were. And now he had to deal with Felix, assuming that Felix was going to bring him all the way to the door. For some reason the boy refused to let anything be pleasant, even the simplest conversations.  
  
Hearing the knock on the door, Killian looked at it, then back around to his apartment. It was still just as tidy as it was two minutes previously. He looked down at himself. Everything was in order. He turned back to the door and opened it. He was met with Bae, just Bae, standing there in the hall with his hands in his jean pockets and a book bag slung over his shoulder. Killian realized just how beautiful Bae was in that moment, seeing him there in the light.  
  
“Are you going to let me in? Or…?”  
  
Killian cleared his throat, willing away the redness from his cheeks at being caught staring. He moved aside, and Bae walked inside. Killian closed the door and followed after him, watching the boy drop the backpack on his couch and dig around inside of it. He pulled out some paperwork and held it out for him.  
  
“Peter said to give that to you.”  
  
Killian took the papers and looked them over. They were the forms Peter had mentioned, claiming that Bae was a tutoring student. Baelfire Gold, to be specific. Killian glanced up at the boy, then back down at the name.  
  
“Is this a fake name?”  
  
“If it was fake it wouldn’t match my ID and then those papers would be pointless wouldn’t they?”  
  
“I just meant, it’s a very… unique name.”  
  
“Yeah. Blame my mother. She liked names from the dark ages.”  
  
Bae shrugged, looking around the apartment.  
  
“So Bae, er, can I call you Bae? Peter told you about what we’re supposed to say, if anyone asks why you’re here?”  
  
“Yeah. I’m supposed to act like you’re a teacher and I’m getting lessons or something.”  
  
“Well I am a teacher, but-”  
  
“I kind of don’t like knowing details, if it’s all the same to you.”  
  
“Oh. Alright.”  
  
“Is that why you’re dressed like that?”  
  
Killian looked down at his clothes again. He didn’t think they looked particularly teacher-like, but then again, he didn’t have separate work and fun clothes. They were all the same.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
He lied, but it was only a little lie. He could justify it by saying that all of his clothes were teacher clothes and therefore, that was why he was dressed like that. Bae just nodded.  
  
“So what am I really here for?”  
  
“I… Well. Peter didn’t tell you?”  
  
Bae blinked at him, his lips pressed into a hard line.  
  
“I know that part. What I meant was, what do you want? You’re covered for the night, apparently.”  
  
Apparently? Killian wondered if this was the first time Bae had ever been involved in one of Peter’s overnight arrangements.  
  
“Um. Do you want something to drink? Or something to eat maybe?”  
  
Bae looked at him strangely, probably thinking the same thing Killian reminded himself of when he heard the words leave his lips. This isn’t a date, Killian.  
  
“Do you have any booze?”  
  
“Alcohol? You’re not-”  
  
The look Bae gave him shut him up before he could say anything stupid. Right. Killian headed into the kitchen, which was open to the living room and dug through his cabinet.  
  
“I have some bourbon, and some whiskey.”  
  
“Whiskey.”  
  
“Ice?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Killian made up two drinks, not wanting to let Bae drink alone. He brought them into the living room and handed one to Bae. While he took a few sips, Bae took deep drinks, barely even blinking. Even Killian squinted a bit at the burn of the alcohol going down his throat.  
  
“So?”  
  
Killian looked up from his glass as Bae spoke again and realized Bae wanted an answer from him.  
  
“Oh… Well I wasn’t really prepared, he kind of sprung the deal on me at the last minute. I didn’t plan anything.”  
  
“You don’t need a game plan for sex.”  
  
“Don’t you ever just… talk to people?”  
  
“Not to customers. The ones that like to talk are usually the ones that ask for their money back when we kick them out, and my end of the street is too valuable for that.”  
  
“Your end of the street?”  
  
“Yeah, the expensive end. Now can we get back to deciding what you want me to do?”  
  
Bae finished his drink, and set the glass down on Killian’s coffee table. Killian licked his lips, thinking to himself for a moment. He wasn’t sure why Bae was so eager to get right down to business. They had the whole night. Reminding himself of that detail, Killian sighed. He couldn't just stay up all night. It was a weekday. He had to work in the morning.  
  
“Maybe the whole night wasn’t a good idea. I don’t even think I could go a whole night…”  
  
“If it’s not the whole night, then I stay in the alley. I can‘t go back and forth it’s too risky.”  
  
“Why is it risky?”  
  
“Don’t worry about it. Have you decided what we’re doing or should I just call Felix back-”  
  
“No. No, stay. I just… Um. What are my options again?”  
  
That was when Killian realized just how many variations of the same look Bae could give him. The look of wonderment, as in wondering just how much worse Killian could be at this, if he had to guess. The teen sighed, closing the distance between them in a few steps and taking the half-full glass from Killian’s hand.  
  
“If you won’t make a decision, I’ll make it for you.”  
  
He put the glass down next to his, grabbed both of Killian’s elbows, and steered the man backwards into a chair. Killian sat when he felt the chair behind him, bewildered into inaction as he let Bae control what was happening. When Bae knelt don in front of him, Killian was suddenly very aware of the huge, unblocked windows.  
  
“Wait.”  
  
“What now?”  
  
“Not in here. Someone could see.”  
  
“No one’s looking in here.”  
  
Bae’s hands went for Killian’s pants, and Killian stopped resisting. Bae was right. He was boring. No one wanted to spy on him. Plus, and he’d never admit it aloud, he rather liked the little thrill he got from the idea of it.  
  
The scene before him was mesmerizing. He was lost again in Bae’s beauty. How could a teenage boy be so beautiful? His eyebrows arched perfectly, his jaw line curved just the right away, and his lips, just the right shade of deep pink. His curly hair fell in his face in the best way possible, framing his features like a brilliant, brown picture frame. Perfect. It was all perfect.  
  
While he continued to be awed by Bae’s looks, his body had been busy responding to the boy’s touches. Killian only realized how far things had gone when he felt Bae’s mouth around him. He gasped lightly, his eyes slipping closed and his teeth catching his bottom lip. Part of him was still trying to convince himself that he was dreaming, and that he would wake up any moment now alone in his bed. But he didn’t wake up.  
  
Killian’s hands gripped at the arms of the chair until he couldn’t take it anymore. He reached out for Bae, touching his shoulders gently and moving up his neck on either side. He slid his fingers into Bae’s hair, and felt Bae’s movements halt. But his fingers didn’t. He touched the boys hair softly, running it through his fingers like fine silk. It felt better than silk. Bae resumed, and Killian took that as a sign that he was safe in what he was doing. His fingernails grazed Bae’s scalp lazily, and the boy moaned lightly, the vibrations from which had Killian almost arching off the chair. He resisted, not wanting to ruin this perfect moment.  
  
He did it again, trailing his fingers through Bae’s locks and running his fingertips along his scalp, earning more soft sounds from the teen. He’d almost forgotten this feeling, sadly enough. Bae’s lips, his tongue and hands, they brought back feelings that had long since left him in his loneliness. Killian’s grip on his hair tightened for a split second when one of his noises hit him unexpectedly, but Bae just moaned loudly around him. It was Killian’s undoing. He let go of Bae’s hair and gripped the arms of the chair again, soft noises falling from his lips as he toppled over the edge of bliss.  
  
When Killian opened his eyes, he was met with Bae‘s stare, still knelt between his legs. The teen lifted his thumb to wipe his bottom lip. He kept his eyes on Killian, his tongue darting from his lips to lick his thumb clean. Killian closed his eyes, letting his head fall backwards to meet the back of the chair with a light thump. Bae was good at what he did.  
  
When he was finally able to open his eyes again, Bae was gone. Killian blinked, looking around the room. The backpack was still on the couch. Hearing the bathroom faucet turn on gave him his answer. The door was closed, but he hadn’t heard that. His head must have still been spinning, he thought as he sat up and redid his pants. He stood up from the chair, looking around again and somehow feeling lost in his own home. The bathroom door opened and Bae came out, barely looking at Killian as he passed him to pick up his glass and finish off the now watered-down whiskey.  
  
Bae put the glass back when it was empty and looked at Killian.  
  
“Do you need a few minutes?”  
  
Killian didn’t know how to answer, because his mind was still half gone, thinking about a particularly amazing blowjob. Finally, it kicked in what the teen meant.  
  
“Um. Well, you know. I think that’s enough, for tonight. I have to work in the morning- Sorry. Details, I forgot. If you don’t mind, anyway. Do you? Mind?”  
  
Killian couldn’t be sure if Bae was biting his lip out of frustration again or if he was trying to keep himself from laughing at a very flustered Killian.  
  
“I don’t care. You’re the one paying. I need that, by the way.”  
  
“Right. I’ll be right back.”  
  
Killian walked down the hall and into his bedroom, picking his wallet up off the dresser and taking out the three hundred dollars he’d withdrawn from the ATM on his way home. All fresh new twenty dollar bills. He returned to the living room and handed it to Bae, who looked it over and slipped it into his front pocket.  
  
“So nothing else? You’re sure?”  
  
“I think so, yeah. I… well I can’t stay up late.”  
  
Killian was sure to avoid the details that time around. Of course he’d barely gotten his money’s worth. He could have gotten a blowjob in the alley in his car and saved most of his money. But he wouldn’t have enjoyed it half as much being as paranoid as that alley made him.  
  
“Well I’m stuck here until morning. Felix is going to pick me up.”  
  
“I can drive you back.”  
  
“No. Peter won’t like it. I’ll just sleep on the couch.”  
  
“Okay… Um. Oh. Wait here.”  
  
“I’ve got nowhere else to go.”  
  
Killian went to his bedroom and took a pillow from his bed, then pulled a spare blanket from his closet and brought them back out.  
  
“I don’t need those.”  
  
“Well, you’ll have them just in case.”  
  
Bae didn’t argue, slipping off his shoes and kicking them out of the way. He undid his belt and jeans, pushing them down to the floor and kicking them to the side as well. Killian watched, only because he hadn’t caught himself staring just yet, as Bae straightened back up and stood there in his boxer-briefs, surveying the couch. He must have felt Killian’s eyes on him, because he looked over at him. A smirk tugged at the boy’s perfect lips.  
  
“You sure there’s nothing else?”  
  
Killian cleared his throat and turned his back.  
  
“I’m sure. Goodnight.”  
  
He made his way back to his room, and closed the door behind him.  
  
Killian laid in bed and stared at the clock, watching the minutes tick by until it turned into an hour. It usually didn’t take him long to fall asleep. But tonight, he was troubled. Not by worries, but by other, more unclean, thoughts. The object of his desires for the past month was in his living room right at that moment, and he’d gone and went to bed. What a fool he was. He had to get to sleep though, he couldn’t show up to work tired. After another thirty minutes, his attitude changed drastically. To hell with work, he thought, pushing the covers off himself.  
  
He walked quietly down the hall. The entire apartment was dark, but the soft light from outside through the windows gave the living room a pale glow. Bae was on the couch, on his back with his head turned. He’d taken the pillow and blanket even if he hadn’t wanted them. His eyes were closed, and he looked impossibly more beautiful than usual in the moonlight. It made Killian’s heart ache to look at him.  
  
Bae opened his eyes, blinking up at Killian.  
  
“Sorry. I wasn’t going to wake you.”  
  
“Come here.”  
  
Killian did as he was told. Bae sat up, and Killian sat on the edge of the couch next to him. Bae grabbed the t-shirt that Killian wore and helped him out of it, tossing it to the side.  
  
“I thought you’d be out here sooner.”  
  
“I was trying not to…”  
  
“Why not? You paid for it.”  
  
“I have no idea.”  
  
Bae took his own shirt off, dropping it to the floor. Killian couldn’t help himself, and reached out to touch Bae again. His hands lingered near the teen’s hips. He moved down from the couch to the floor, on his knees in front of Bae to better reach him. Bae moved closer to Killian, reaching out to touch his shoulders, his hands slipping down slowly to his chest hair. Killian’s breaths were deep and controlled as he tried to remain in control, wanting to savor every moment.  
  
Bae leaned forward, reaching for his pants on the floor. Killian leaned forward and closed his eyes, reading Bae completely wrong. Instead of lips, Bae’s hand was covering his mouth, his thumb tracing across his cheek as he leaned to whisper in his ear.  
  
“No kissing on the lips.”  
  
Killian was thoroughly embarrassed as Bae’s hand slipped away from his lips and back down to his shouldder, and had he had any blood left to flush his cheeks, he would have blushed. It seemed there were more important areas to attend to. Killian decided to kiss Bae elsewhere then, since his lips were off limits. He went for his neck, his jaw, kissing every available area as his hands roamed freely over Bae’s body. Bae found what he was looking for in his pants pocket and sat back again. He reached between them, grasping Killian through his pajama pants before pushing them down to his knees. Bae tore open the condom and slipped it onto Killian while the older man continued the attention to Bae’s neck and shoulders.  
  
Bae pushed him away, and Killian was confused until he realized it was so Bae could join him on the floor. He moved backwards, remaining on his knees while Bae abandoned his seat on the couch. He turned around in front of Killian, leaning against the couch. Killian’s hands smoothed down the length of the boy’s back, pushing his underwear down when he reached them. Bae grabbed one of Killian’s hands, pulling it around in front of him. Killian leaned forward, his chest pressed to Bae’s back. He held the couch for balance with his free hand, watching what Bae was doing. The teen brought Killian’s hand to his lips, slipping one of his fingers into his mouth. Killian closed his eyes, feeling Bae’s tongue working against his finger and bringing back flashes of the scene on the chair.  
  
When he was finished, Bae pushed Killian’s hand back behind him. Killian rested his forehead on Bae’s shoulder as he slipped his finger inside, feeling Bae’s breath catch as he gasped. He moved his hand gently until he felt Bae pushing his hips back, whimpering under his breath. Killian pulled his fingers away. Bae spread his legs even more, bracing himself with his hands on the couch in front of him as he felt Killian entering him.  
  
The sudden warmth and tightness around him had Killian seeing stars behind his closed eyelids. He wanted to wait, to take it slow, but his body didn’t allow it. The urge was too strong as he was finally getting what he'd fantasized about for weeks. He bucked his hips in short but strong thrusts against the teen’s, drawing the most beautiful sounds from Bae’s lips; short whines and moans with every move he made that drove him mad with desire. His breath was hot against Bae’s neck. The boy kept up, moving his body in sync with Killian’s to meet his hips.  
  
Their moans grew more and more desperate as the minutes passed. Killian felt Bae move, leaning back and reaching down in front of him. He couldn’t see, but just the thought of what he was doing triggered Killian’s climax. Bae arched his back with another moan, his hips twitching back against Killian before he slumped forward on the couch cushion with a grunt.  
  
Their chests both heaved as they caught their breath, Killian resting against Bae’s back. When Killian felt Bae sitting up again, he sat back as well. Bae stood up and started collecting his clothes. Killian struggled for a minute, pulling his pajama pants back up as Bae pulled his underwear back on.  
  
“Sorry about your couch. Peter will replace it if you want.”  
  
Killian looked up at the teen, confused for a moment before he looked at the couch and saw the stain on the front of it near the bottom. He shook his head.  
  
“It’ll be fine.”  
  
He stood up, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair and get it off of his forehead. Bae returned to the couch, pulling the blanket back over him.  
  
“Will you have trouble sleeping now?”  
  
“No. I don’t think I will.”  
  
Killian turned to head back down the hallway.  
  
“Goodnight.”  
  
Bae just hummed in reply, turning over on the couch and pulling his pillow closer. In his bedroom, Killian went to his bathroom to clean up, then returned to his bed. The clock told him he’d only been out of bed for thirty minutes. It hadn’t seemed so embarrassingly short-lived at the time. He closed his eyes, wondering if Bae had realized how quick it had been. He barely finished the thought before sleep claimed him.  
  
  


 

 

 

  
  
  
“Did Baelfire give you any trouble when you dropped him off?”  
  
Peter was in bed, lying back in his pillows with the sheet barely covering his nude bottom half.  
  
“The usual bratty remarks.”  
  
Felix sat at the foot of the bed, nude as well and even less covered than Pan. He would be going to his own room soon. Always too soon.  
  
“I hoped he wouldn’t put up too much of a fight. I’ve never had him do an overnight before.”  
  
“Wouldn’t want to hurt the prince’s feelings…”  
  
“Prince?”  
  
Felix didn’t answer. Peter pushed the sheets off and crawled across the bed, down to where Felix sat. He sat behind him, slipping his arm around the taller boy’s shoulders. His other hand went to Felix’s hair, playing with it lightly as Felix leaned back against him.  
  
“I miss your long hair.”  
  
“I don’t.”  
  
Peter leaned forward, his lips brushing Felix’s ear as he spoke softly.  
  
“You’ve been exceptionally bitter lately. What’s wrong?”  
  
“Nothing at all.”  
  
“You have an attitude. And it seems to pop up every time Bae’s mentioned.”  
  
“Why don’t you spend more time with your golden boy then? I'm sure he wouldn’t give you attitude.”  
  
Peter tutted in Felix’s ear.  
  
“You know better than that. You’ll always be my only golden boy.”  
  
“The way you talk about him, that’s how you used to talk about me.”  
  
“That was before I decided to keep you all to myself.”  
  
“We both know that was a forced decision.”  
  
“Still not a decision I regret.”  
  
“Then how come I still have my own room?”  
  
“You know why. If I cross the wrong person they won’t come for me, they’ll come for something I care about. I can’t let it become public knowledge exactly what or who they should go for.”  
  
“I’m sure that’s the only reason.”  
  
Peter took Felix’s chin between his fingers and turned his head so he could see his lover’s face.  
  
“It is. Now shut up and kiss me.”  



	4. I Knew I Would Be

 

It was a very significant day for Baelfire, a day he’d rather not even be reminded of really. His birthday. It fell on a Friday, meaning it was his busiest night of the week and he hoped no one would mention it since they would all be busy as well. Of course, Peter hadn’t let it slip by him. Before Baelfire had even gone out, he had given Bae a quick ‘happy birthday’ before telling him that he was due over at Killian’s apartment.   
  
“But it’s Friday. He never schedules on weekends.”  
  
“Well he did this time. Felix is waiting for you out front. And uh.. Try to be nice to Felix for a change? Or at least, not so annoyed by his presence. He’s only following my orders when he babysits you, you know.”  
  
“Is he following your orders when he’s an asshole to me too?”  
  
“No, that’s all him. See you in the morning Bae.”  
  
Bae sighed and headed out of the building to meet Felix, who was standing around, watching the boys that were already out even though Roy, another older boy, was on duty already. When he turned and saw Bae coming out, he smirked his usual smirk.  
  
“Ready, lover boy?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Normally, Bae would have name-called him right back. But since he hadn’t, he counted that as being nicer, and so he could say he had followed Peter’s orders. They walked to the corner and down to the subway station. Felix paid, since travel was on Peter’s tab, and they waited around for the next train.   
  
The subway was Bae’s first home in New York. No one noticed him down there, wandering around with thousands of other people at all hours of the day and night. He spent a whole weekend wandering Grand Central Station. It was so big and grand, and nothing like he’d ever seen before. Plus, traveling was cheap that way and cheap was good because he hadn’t gotten away from Storybrooke with very much money at all. He’d only had a few weeks to save when he planned to leave.  
  
Felix and Bae boarded the train when it arrived, with Bae sitting in the corner and Felix right next to him. To anyone on the outside, it would just look like two teenage boys going out for a movie, or maybe to meet some other friends and get into mischief. Bae liked that, more than he could describe. Walking the streets without being noticed, without being spoken to. No one knew him. No one had any reason to know who he was, or act like they liked him.  
  
It wasn’t a far ride to Killian’s, and soon they were at his doorstep.  
  
“Remember, weekend rates.”  
  
“I know. I’m not new at this, remember?”  
  
“Enjoy yourself, birthday boy.”  
  
Bae bit his tongue, remembering Peter’s request. That was two times he hadn’t retorted one of Felix’s snide remarks. That’s all Bae would give him. Felix walked away and Baelfire reached for the buzzer to Killian’s apartment.  
  
“Come on up.”  
  
Bae blinked at the box. Normally Killian would at least ask who it was first. The buzzing from the door alerted him that the door was unlocked, and he went inside the apartment building. Baelfire let himself into the apartment and Killian was in the kitchen, pouring what looked like lemonade into a glass.  
“Hey there.”  
  
“Hi.”  
  
Bae shut the door behind him, looking around the apartment like he expected something to be different.   
  
“Want some?”  
  
Killian held up the pitcher of lemonade and Bae shrugged.  
  
“Sure.”  
  
While Killian got another glass out, Bae headed to the kitchen to join him.  
  
“So… A Friday night? I thought you liked to keep it to weekdays so it wouldn’t look weird?”  
  
“Well, I called yesterday, but Peter said you had the night off since you had to work tonight, on your birthday.”  
  
Bae sighed, closing his eyes in annoyance. Peter had to go and mention it to everyone, didn’t he?  
  
“So I told him to schedule me tonight then.”  
  
Killian set the second glass on the counter near Bae, who picked it up for a sip and set it back down.  
  
“I can’t skip a Friday. Too much business.”  
  
“I thought as much. By the way…”   
  
Killian grabbed a box from the top of the refrigerator and put it on the counter by Bae’s drink. Bae stared at it, then looked at Killian.  
  
“You can’t do that, Killian. I.. whatever it is, I can’t take it.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Because it’s… You already pay me. And you’re paying extra tonight. I can’t accept gifts too. Besides it’s not a big deal. It’s just another day.”  
  
“Well, then I guess it’ll just sit here in my apartment until you want it then, because I can’t return it.”  
  
If Killian had thought about that statement hard enough, he’d realize he had a lot in common with that little box. Baelfire sighed again. Killian was too nice, which made it hard for Bae to be too mean to him. So he gave him a stern look as he took the box. Killian smiled once it was accepted and watched as the boy opened it. Inside was a watch. Nothing shiny or fancy. But nice.  
  
“A watch?”  
  
“Yes. I noticed how you always check your phone when you need to know the time, just like every other teenager in the world. I’m not sure they even teach children how to read clocks anymore… But, every man needs one, at least just to say he has one.”  
  
Bae took the watch out and looked it over more closely. It wasn’t an expensive brand, so he could at least rest assured that Killian hadn’t doubled his bill for the night or something. He turned it over and put it around his wrist, trying to work the clasp with one hand until Killian set his glass down and reached to help him. Once it was on, he turned his hand again and looked at it. He could live with it, he supposed. Had it been one of the big gaudy ones, he’d never wear it. But he liked the simplicity of it.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“You’re welcome.”  
  
Killian was just glad Bae accepted it at all. He’d expected to have more of a fight to get him to take it, so he was quite relieved when it didn’t take much to achieve his goal. Bae shook his hand a little as he rested it back at his side, getting used to the feeling of the watch being around his wrist. Killian watched him, picking up his glass of lemonade and holding it to his lips.  
  
“There’s a second part to your gift.”  
  
He took a sip to hide the grin he made from seeing Bae’s reaction to hearing that. The glare that the boy gave him might be menacing to some, but he found it endearing. He set his glass down again.   
  
“No. No more.”  
  
“It’s not a physical gift.”  
  
“I don’t care.”  
  
“Bae. I want you to go and enjoy your birthday. No working tonight. I’m still paying, so you don’t even have to tell Peter. Just… go out and have fun.”  
  
Bae sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time since he’d woken up that day.  
  
“I can’t do that.”  
  
“I insist.”  
  
“No, I mean I really can’t… I’m not allowed to leave the apartment without an escort. It’s a nice gesture, but I can’t accept it.”  
  
Killian looked confused.  
  
“Why can’t you leave on your own?”  
  
Bae hesitated. The only thing worse about accidentally learning details about a client was accidentally giving away his own. Though, Killian was a long term client by then, going on almost six months of their almost bi-weekly visits.  
  
“The cops won’t mess with us as long as we’re on Peter’s street. If they catch us anywhere else we’re fair game. It’s business hours, they’d find a way to pin something on me even if I wasn’t working.”  
  
Killian’s brow furrowed as he listened to Bae tell him why he couldn’t leave. It made sense, and yet he still hated the idea that Bae was so restricted all the time, to the point that he couldn’t even take a walk by himself outside of Peter’s business area.   
  
“I see…”  
  
He scratched the back of his neck as he plotted a new idea quietly. Bae shifted, leaning against the counter while Killian was silent.   
  
“You can have your night off here, then. You can watch tv or use the computer or, whatever else you think of.”  
  
“Killian… I- That…”  
  
Baelfire stumbled for the right words. He didn’t want to cheapen Killian’s sentiment by using harsh words.  
  
“You what?”  
  
“It would feel too much like something it isn’t.”  
  
Killian stared at Bae, and the realization of what he was saying made his heart swell a bit. He laughed to himself quietly. He knew of Bae’s refusal to get attached to people. It seemed like such a sad existence though, too much like his own.  
  
“I can leave.”  
  
Bae shook his head and rolled his eyes.  
  
“You can’t leave, it’s your house.”  
  
“Then I guess you’ll just have to endure it.”  
  
Killian smiled and picked up his glass, taking it to the living room and sitting down on the couch. Bae watched him walk out and kept his eyes on him all the way to the couch, his mouth hanging open just the tiniest bit. That was a spark of confidence Bae hadn’t seen in the other man before. It was interesting, but he didn’t let on that he thought so.  
  
Grabbing the remote control, Killian turned on the television and went to see what was on. Bae resisted, staying in the kitchen and drinking his lemonade in silence. Would it really be that bad, to just sit around and watch tv with Killian instead of working? No, probably not. It was just hard for Bae to lower his guard after keeping it up for so long.   
  
After a few minutes and another dramatic sigh, Bae took his glass and walked into the living room. He set the glass down and plopped down into the seat next to Killian.  
  
“You haven’t won. I just got tired of standing.”  
  
“Sure you did.”  
  
Killian smirked as he went through the channels, before giving up and seeing what movies were available.   
  
“Have you seen this one yet?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Do you want to?”  
  
“I don’t care, sure.”  
  
Killian selected and started the movie. Some new drama thriller type movie that got rave reviews, that he hadn’t seen either. After a few scenes, Killian got curious, and decided to see what more he could get out of Bae.  
  
“How old did you turn today?”  
  
He saw Bae look at him out of the corner of his eye.   
  
“Sixteen.”  
  
Killian had been hoping for a number a bit higher, in hopes of squashing the last bit of guilt he’d hung onto for the last half of the year.   
  
“That’s a fun age to be.”  
  
“If you say so.”  
  
“You don’t think so?”  
  
“Just one year closer to dying.”  
  
“That’s quite the cynical outlook you have there. No plans for in the middle, between sixteen and death?”  
  
“Why are you asking about me all of a sudden?”  
  
“Because I want to know about you.”  
  
“Why now?”  
  
“I always have. I was just… well sort of scared to ask in the beginning. You were slightly intimidating.”  
  
“I’m not anymore?”  
  
“Not as much.”  
  
“I’ll work on that then.”  
  
Killian laughed, shaking his head at Bae’s sassy reply. Baelfire rested his hands across his lower stomach as he leaned back on the couch, picking at the leather wristband of his watch idly. Killian let the movie play on for a little while longer before he asked anything else.  
  
“When did you start working for Peter?”  
  
“A few months after I got here.”  
  
Bae was actually interested in the movie by then, which kept him from being too hostile at the continuation of Killian’s questioning.  
  
“How old were you?”  
  
“Fourteen.”  
  
“You said after you arrived here, where did you come from?”  
  
“Maine.”  
  
“Any particular reason for leaving?”  
  
The answer was on his lips, and it made Bae realize that he was giving out quite a bit without noticing. He looked over at the older man, his eyebrows wrinkled in frustration at the memory that question had evoked.  
  
“It’s none of your business.”  
  
Killian looked away from the screen and over to Bae surprised at the change in tone he heard from the boy. He’d pressed too far. Too much at one time. It was stupid of him, he should have known better.  
  
“I’m sorry.”  
  
They fell into silence again, with Bae looking back at the screen, but watching Killian in his peripheral. Killian didn’t look back at the screen, he stared at his lap, at the floor, the couch. After a few minutes of watching him, Bae’s feelings changed from agitation to guilt. How could a grown man look so much like a kicked puppy?  
  
“It was my father.”  
  
Killian looked up slowly, first with just his eyes, then he lifted his face as Bae spoke.  
  
“He chose his power over me.”  
  
“His power?”  
  
Killian asked quietly, still worried about overstepping his boundaries again.  
  
“He practically owns the town we lived in. His only competition is the mayor, and even she jumps whenever he says please. I got tired of it, being his son. Everyone in town tiptoed around me, all fake smiles and compliments because that’s how they treated him. I hated it.”  
  
“How many more questions am I allowed to ask?”  
  
Bae huffed a quick laugh.   
  
“That was a pretty big one. What else could you ask that compares to that?”  
  
“I could ask where your mother was during all of this…”  
  
Killian waited to be shut out again at such a personal question while Bae contemplated answering in silence. Finally, he made his decision.  
  
“He killed her.”  
  
“So… he went to prison?”  
  
“Nope. He didn’t kill her officially. The cops wouldn’t touch him anyway even if he hadn’t covered it up so well.”  
  
“Well, how can you be sure then?”  
  
“She left him. She said she’d never loved him, and left to be with another man. She left me with him… Because apparently being a single mom wasn’t her style. And she died a few weeks later, before the divorce was final. She had a heart attack.”  
  
“People do have those naturally…”  
  
“She was thirty-one.”  
  
Killian didn’t have an answer for that. It could still be natural, in extreme circumstances like pre-existing heart conditions, but he didn’t go into it any further. It was sad to think that Bae lived believing that his father had killed his mother. Even worse to think that it could be true, with the way Bae described his father.  
  
He didn’t bother asking anything else, because he knew he was on thin ice. He’d gotten a lot though, with those questions, plenty to think about while pretending to watch the movie. They stayed silent again or a while. Bae getting back into the movie and Killian getting lost in his thoughts, imagining what Bae’s life must have been like before they met. It sounded like quite a lot for a fourteen year old boy to take on. He could see why Peter and his operation might have sounded like a good idea after hearing all of that.   
  
Killian was still lost in his thoughts when Bae sat up and pulled him back to reality. The teen reached over him and grabbed the remote. A glance at the screen told him the movie had ended, but he hadn’t even noticed when the credits started rolling.  
  
“Daydream much?”  
  
Bae gave him a small smile before hitting a few buttons to return to the movie menu.  
  
“I was just thinking.”  
  
“You do that too much sometimes.”  
  
“Do I?”  
  
“Yup.”  
  
Bae scrolled down the options on the screen to see if there was another movie that might be interesting enough to watch. He’d seen a lot of them already, since he spent a lot of his time off sitting in bed with his computer. Movies were a quick boredom killer when he had a whole night with nothing to do. During the day, he could go out and wander around. It was night time when the police started snooping around for Lost Boys. So he always made sure to be back to Peter’s before dark.   
  
“Are we watching another one?”  
  
“I don’t know yet. Maybe we should watch that one again since you missed half of it.”  
  
“That’s alright, I’ll watch it later.”  
  
Killian shrugged, standing up to head into the kitchen while Bae looked at the movies.  
  
“Do you want a snack?”  
  
Bae thought about it for a minute, then nodded.   
  
“I might as well, since I’m enduring it and all.”  
  
Killian smiled, opening up the fridge. There wasn’t much as far as snacks in there. So he closed it and opened the pantry.  
  
“Chips?”  
  
“That works.”  
  
Grabbing the bag of chips, Killian returned to the couch. He put the bag on the table and looked at the screen to see if Bae had picked something. He was looking at another movie. It looked to be the same genre, just a little bit older than the first one.  
  
“This one?”  
  
“It’s your birthday. Go ahead.”  
  
Bae hit the button and put the remote down, switching it for the bag of chips. He opened it up and took a few before setting it down between them. Killian grabbed a couple for himself and they munched quietly while the movie started.  
  
“You were right. It’s not bad just sitting around…”  
  
“I knew I would be.”  
  
Killian smiled, but he didn’t gloat too much, not wanting to ruin his victory. It took another few minutes for Bae to speak up again.  
  
“You asked me all kinds of personal stuff and I answered. And I know I usually tell you not to tell me stuff. But I have one question.”  
  
“Go ahead.”  
  
“How come you don’t date?”  
  
Killian had no idea how he hadn’t seen that kind of question coming from a mile away. He heard it from time to time among his friends, as they all moved on from this boyfriend or girlfriend to the next, and he still sat at the singles table. The answer was never easy to word, no matter who asked.  
  
“I don’t actively avoid it. I just… It’s hard for me. I’m not good with change, and most people aren’t good with people who aren’t good with change. Not for long, anyway.”  
  
“How long ago was your last relationship?”  
  
Killian laughed quietly, and squinted a bit as he mentally tallied up.  
  
“Three years ago.”  
  
“Three years? What have you been doing since then?”  
  
“Working. Um… Existing.”  
  
Killian shrugged. He sounded terrible when he said it all out loud. Bae just looked at him, waiting for him to give him another answer, but there wasn’t one. He shrugged again. That was all there was.  
  
“I don’t see how that’s the only thing holding you back. You’ve got a lot of other stuff going for you.”  
  
“Do I? Enlighten me. What do I have going for me?”  
  
“You’re smart and you have a good job. You’re handsome and nice and pretty good in bed…”  
  
Bae put it so nonchalantly that Killian had to laugh, and Bae laughed too. He didn’t think he’d spend his birthday talking up Killian, let alone to Killian himself.   
  
“You need more confidence. You have a little bit, I know you do. But you need more. Confidence is sexy.”  
  
“That’s how you do it then?”  
  
“It doesn’t hurt.”  
  
“That’s an enviable quality, you know?”  
  
“I think most people just think I’m an asshole, so no.”  
  
“Is that what you want people to think about you?”  
  
Bae thought about it, then shrugged.  
  
“It’s better than people pretending to like me, or knowing the truth and pitying me.”  
  
“Well I don’t think that about you. You had me flabbergasted when I first met you.”  
  
“Using words like that takes away from all the other stuff I listed.”  
  
“Oh, I see.”  
  
They laughed again.  
  
“But I’m serious. I can’t make up my mind on dinner most nights and you seem to know exactly what you want and when you want it, no matter what it is. You decide things with a snap of your fingers. I could never…”  
  
Killian shook his head.  
  
“Told you, you think too much sometimes.”  
  
“I suppose you were right then.”  
  
“I knew I would be.”  
  
Bae smirked and Killian caught on to how Bae had turned that line around on him. This was entirely too surreal, he was going to regret this in the morning when Bae left. He had settled for just sex, he knew the rules and what he could and couldn’t do. This was getting into different territory and while he loved it, he was worried about it being taken back when they returned to their normal routine.   
  
In the absence of conversation, Bae had returned his attention to the movie. He slumped down a bit further on the couch, leaning over closer to Killian when he did until their arms were touching. Killian didn’t move, not wanting to draw attention to it just yet. Bae finally gave in the rest of the way, settling in against Killian’s side and resting his head on the other’s shoulder. It felt nice, as much as he hated to admit it. He was in contact with humans on a daily basis, in some of the most intimate ways, but it didn’t fill the craving for human touch like this. Something soft and innocent, just sharing the same space and nothing more.   
  
“You’re like a cat.”  
  
Bae looked up at Killian from his shoulder curiously.  
  
“What? A cat?”  
  
“My mother had a cat when I was young. It would curl around my feet and rub against my legs, but when I tried to pick it up, it would hiss and run away. If I sat still for long enough, it would come sit on my lap. And it would stay there all content and napping, until the second I tried to pet it. Then it would growl and bite me.”  
  
“I haven’t bitten you.”  
  
“I haven’t tried to pet you yet.”  
  
Bae laughed. It was a ridiculous comparison, but he could see what Killian meant. Killian never deserved the smart remarks he got from Bae sometimes, and he never complained about it either. And so far that night he’d been even better than usual. If anyone deserved a little extra it was Killian. He was so far above all the other sleazeball clients Bae had to deal with.   
  
So Bae finally decided that it wouldn’t kill him to, as Peter said, give Killian a cuddle or two. He moved, but only to lift Killian’s arm and place it over his own shoulder. Then he scooted closer, leaning against the older man and resting his hand on Killian’s knee. He felt the way Killian tensed, but he didn’t move. After a moment, Killian relaxed again, carefully letting his arm rest around Bae’s shoulders as they both tried to remember what the movie they were watching was even about.  
  



	5. Breaking The Rules

It had been three weeks since Baelfire’s birthday, and the longest time between appointments that they had had since the beginning of their arrangement. For Killian, he knew Bae would want space. It had been quite the personal night, and he’d learned a lot. But he also knew Bae didn’t like that he knew so much, and that he would want some separation time. Little did he know, he wasn’t exactly right.  
  
After not hearing from Killian for going on three weeks, Bae wondered if something was wrong. Maybe his decision to share a thing or two with Killian made him feel guilty, or uncomfortable. In the beginning he would have liked to scare Killian off, just to continue on as he normally did.  
  
“But now you like him.”  
  
The blonde haired girl smiled at him from the other side of the couch, hiding behind a small cup of tea.  
  
“Not like that. I like him like… It’s nice to basically have the night off when he calls.”  
  
Bae shrugged, leaning back against the other side of the couch, clasping his cup of coffee with both hands. He had his sunglasses on, even though they were inside, because it was early and the sun was shining directly into the windows of the coffee shop they sat in. Wendy shook her head, not accepting that explanation for a second.  
  
“Bae. How long have we known each other?”  
  
“Two years.”  
  
“Right. Since the first week you got here, since before you even started working for Peter. And how many times have you told me about any of your clients?”  
  
Bae shook his head and shrugged.  
  
“A few I guess.”  
  
“No. Just one. He’s the only one you’ve ever talked to me about specifically. The only one you’ve ever wondered about outside of work.”  
  
“That doesn’t mean I like him. It means I’m worried I might lose a regular client.”  
  
“A regular client that you described as smart and handsome and good in bed.”  
  
“Shut up.”  
  
They both laughed, Wendy just a bit more than Bae. She adjusted her legs, moving them up onto the couch and resting them again on Bae’s lap. He sat back more, giving her room. This was his Sunday routine. It was just about the only quality time he could get with Wendy, since she was in school all week and couldn’t come out late, and he was working late most nights anyway. So Sunday mornings, he would get up extra early and they would meet at the coffee shop.   
  
“Honestly, Bae. It would do you good to have a little romance in your life.”  
  
“Not with him. He’s a client. Peter would have a fit.”  
  
“Well it’s not Peter’s life, is it?”  
  
“It might as well be.”  
  
That changed the tone of the conversation a bit. Wendy knew that sometimes Bae liked to get away from everything, his job included. But he owed Peter a lot. If it wasn’t for Peter, he would have stayed on the streets of New York. Peter gave him a place to stay, food to eat, clothes to wear, money to spend. Everything he needed. In order to keep up with everything Bae knew he owed Peter, he worked that much harder.   
  
“Maybe you should talk to Peter about it then.”  
  
“No. I told you, it’s not even that I like him like him. I was just… curious, wondering why he hasn’t called again. That’s all.”  
  
“You’re worried that he isn’t going to call back.”  
  
Bae didn’t answer.   
  
“You can’t stay with Peter forever Bae. Maybe this is your chance to leave.”  
  
“Can we just not talk about it anymore?”  
  
Wendy bit her lip, and nodded. She couldn’t help her tendency to get excited about these kinds of things. She was a hopeless romantic at heart, and wanted everyone to find happiness the way they did in the novels she read. Bae couldn’t even blame her, she wasn’t saying anything he hadn’t thought, worried about himself for the past few weeks. The shiver that ran up his spine every time Killian whispered his name was his reminder.   
  
Normally after their morning coffee they would go off and find something else to do. They would go to a few stores and walk around for a bit before going to the park before grabbing lunch. It was almost always Wendy’s treat. Her family had money to spare. She’d tried to convince Bae to stay with them before he went with Peter. But since he’d refused, and she knew Bae’s money had to last, she always paid before he could even try and it became common place.   
  
After they finished their drinks, they got up from the couch and went to start the next part of the day. Bae put on a brave face, wanting to just forget it all and have a fun day with his best friend. So he started trying to turn the mood around again, telling Wendy jokes as they left the coffee shop and swinging the door open for her enthusiastically while bowing to her like royalty as she giggled and walked out. He followed her, and almost bumped into her a she stopped suddenly, having almost walked into a stranger.  
  
“I’m so sorry!”  
  
“It’s fine, I wasn’t looking.”  
  
Wendy went on ahead, but Bae stayed. The stranger was Killian. They both stared for a few seconds, unable to decide how they should react to seeing each other in public.   
  
“Bae?”  
  
Wendy watched the two of them, trying to figure out why Bae wasn’t coming along. Bae spoke first.  
  
“Uh, hey. What are you doing here?”  
  
Killian hesitated in answering. He had never run into Bae like this before. It was strange, and yet, he was still excited to see the teen after so long.   
  
“I’m on my way to visit my mother. She likes the cheesecake they make here…”  
  
Killian looked at Wendy, who was still looking at them both and feeling very confused. Bae noticed that as well.   
  
“Oh. Wendy this is Killian, from work. Killian this is my friend Wendy.”  
  
Wendy smiled, a knowing smile that meant Bae was going to hear a lot more about this when they finally left.  
  
“Lovely to meet you Killian. Bae’s told me about you.”  
  
“Nice to meet you too. And I hope they were nice things…”  
  
Killian looked over at Bae again, surprised to hear that he had told someone about him. Before Wendy could answer, Bae cleared his throat.   
  
“We have to go. Nice seeing you.”  
  
Bae nodded, and turned to catch up with Wendy. Killian took note that the watch he’d given Bae for his birthday was still on the boy’s wrist. That made him smile.  
  
“You too. Tell Peter I’ll be calling him later this week.”  
  
Bae turned to look at Killian over his shoulder and nodded. There may have been a bit of a smile there as well but Bae wouldn’t have admitted to it. He took Wendy’s arm to turn her as well, since she was still smiling at Killian, and walked away.  
  
“That’s him?!”  
  
“No.”  
  
She smacked his arm. Bae rolled his eyes.  
  
“I’ve never seen him outside of work. That was weird.”  
  
“Well, at least you know he’s going to call again. And you said he was handsome. That man is stunning, we need to get your eyes checked.”  
  
Bae laughed and shook his head. Leave it to Wendy to point out his under-exaggerations.   
  
“Let’s go to the park. We can get bagels and feed the ducks.”  
  
“Oh good idea! I bet their babies are out and about by now.”   
  
Excitedly, Wendy grabbed Bae by the wrist and hurried along the sidewalk to find the subway entrance. Bae laughed and let himself be pulled along.  
  
  


 

  
  
  
“Sir?”  
  
Killian blinked, then realized he’d spaced out again.  
  
“Sorry.”  
  
He handed over the money for the cheesecake he’d just requested. After receiving his change, he took the bag and headed back out to the street. The meeting with Bae had his head in a flurry again. It left him with a nice feeling, and so many things to ponder. He was still wearing his watch, so it had to mean he liked it and hadn’t just put up with it for Killian’s sake. And his friend, Wendy. She said Bae talked about him. That alone had him all aflutter, and he didn’t care how immature that seemed for a man his age. Butterflies was something he hadn’t experienced for a long time before Bae had wandered into his life.   
  
The drive to the facility that his mother resided in wasn’t a long one, nor was it difficult for him to manage while only half paying attention to where he was going. He forced himself to put his other thoughts aside though, as he entered the building and got in the elevator to his mother’s floor. It took a lot of focus to visit his mother.  
  
Killian knocked on the door and let himself in.  
  
“Hello, Mother. It’s me.”  
  
“Killian! Oh, careful dear, don’t let Missy out.”  
  
Missy was his mother’s cat, the one he’d mentioned to Bae on his birthday. She had passed away years ago, but his mother was unaware of that detail anymore. He brought the bag over to where she sat in her chair near the windows.  
  
“I brought you some of your favorite cheesecake. Shall I get you a piece?”  
  
“My sweet boy. No, you can just put it away for now.”  
  
Killian took the bag to the fridge to store it for later and returned to his mother.  
  
“How was your day, mother?”  
  
“Oh it was lovely. This morning Marjorie and I went for a walk in the garden.”  
  
Marjorie was the name of his mother’s best friend of what had to be four decades. They had known each other as girls. She’d passed away a few years ago, but his mother had taken to calling the woman next door by that name, and that woman apparently didn’t know it from her own name. Her doctors told Killian it would be best to just not question her, as it would only upset her and confuse her more.   
  
“That sounds nice.”  
  
“Did you have any classes today? Oh, how did you do on that last test? The one you told me you were worried about.”  
  
Killian had been out of college for quite some time, but that was the era his mother had stuck him into, so he just played along to keep her from worrying.  
  
“No classes today. And I passed the test.”  
  
“Of course you did, you’re brilliant! Just like your father, you always were. You two and your books.”  
  
His mother smiled at him fondly. Killian often wondered to himself how she could look at him and not realized he was much to old for college, or how she could talk about a cat that she never interacted with, how she could forget the face of her best friend, how she could forget her husband’s funeral. But that was the nature of her illness, and it would just keep getting worse as time passed. He was fairly certain no one would ever understand it fully.   
  
After a few hours spent talking with his mother, and a slice of the delicious cheesecake for both of them, Killian announced that it was time for him to go. He kissed his mother, letting her hold onto him for the minute longer that she always requested, then made his way home.   
  
Once at home, Killian was once again at the mercy of his own thoughts. Bae was never far away from whatever had his attention, whether it was cooking his dinner or something he heard on the tv. In fact, his preoccupation lasted long enough that he’d ended up calling Peter on Wednesday, instead of his usual Thursday.  
  
  
  
  
Bae fully blamed Wendy for putting the idea into his head. The silly idea, not even idea, fantasy, that he could possibly ‘get out’ of the business. And how? An actual relationship. With Killian. It was preposterous. Ridiculous. He was a teacher! A semi-regular fling with a 16 year old is one thing. But actually dating one? It would never work. It was illegal. And it was all he could think about. What if? What if it did work? What if it wasn’t so ridiculous? He knew Killian would be on board. As much as he tried to ignore it, Bae knew of Killian’s feelings or him. Nice, ~~handsome~~ stunning, smart, good-in-bed Killian.   
  
One thing Bae did make sure of, was that Peter and Felix didn’t find out jut what had him so distracted as of late. But since it didn’t effect his work, they didn’t notice. When Peter told Bae that he would be going over to Killian’s on a Wednesday instead of the usual Thursday, Bae didn’t question it. He absently replied to all of Felix’s remarks, practically on autopilot the whole train ride to Killian’s apartment up until he was walking up the stairs. Bae stopped, staring at the steps in front of him as his mind worked. If he didn’t, at the very least, attempt to find out if anything he was worrying about was worth it, then he feared he might regret it someday. Up until that point, he had no regrets. He didn’t want to tarnish that record.   
  
Bae continued up the stairs once he had it figured out. The first step was going to have to be himself. He needed to know what he wanted. He had a plan, he just wasn’t sure how well it would over. Bae let himself into Killian’s apartment, locking the door behind him. He dropped his backpack onto the couch and went searching for the older man. When he found him in the bedroom, setting his wallet on his dresser, Killian looked surprised to see him. Usually, Bae waited for Killian to come find him.  
  
“Do me a favor?”  
  
Killian was confused, unable to even get his usual greeting out before Bae spoke. But he nodded.  
  
“Alright.”  
  
“You can say no.”  
  
“I probably won’t, but thanks for the warning.”  
  
“Just for tonight, can we pretend like you aren’t paying me afterwards?”  
  
To say Killian was confused was an understatement. What Baelfire was asking went against every rule the boy had ever set. It wasn’t supposed to be personal, it was business. Bae had always made that clear and as hard as it was, Killian had always obeyed.   
  
“Is something wrong, Bae?”  
  
“No. I don’t know. Maybe.”  
  


 

 

  
  
A past conversation with Wendy replayed in his head, just a little snippet of it, the part that nagged at him the most.   
  
“What do you mean never?”  
  
“I mean never.”  
  
“But Bae… Well, your… work. Surely you had some experience before you started.”  
  
“Nope.”  
  
The blonde haired girl looked at him in a way he wasn’t sure he liked. It reminded him of home. Pity.   
  
“Don’t you wonder what it’s like though? To sleep with someone you actually like and not someone who pays for it?”  
  
“It’s probably not much different.”   
  
“Oh Bae…”  
  
Her remarks that night had him up late, wondering what she was so upset about. It was his life not hers. Sex was sex no matter who it was with, or so he thought. How could whether or not he was getting paid for it make a difference? It was physical. Peter said so himself. Emotions and connections were overrated, and in their line of work, it was strictly business. Bae hadn’t known anything else.   
  


 

  
  
Bae was looking at the floor when Killian said his name for the third time, and he finally looked up, gazing into the very concerned, very blue eyes of the older man.   
  
“Bae what’s wrong?”  
  
Bae shook his head and shrugged. He wasn’t even sure anymore. He didn’t know what he was doing when it came to feelings. He couldn’t answer because he didn’t have an answer. So he asked another question instead.  
  
“Do you care?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Do you care? About me?”  
  
Killian hesitated, staring at the teen before him. Where was all of this coming from? Was Bae testing him somehow? He felt like he was walking through a minefield. One wrong answer and everything would be blown away. But the fact that he felt that way gave away his answer. He could have answered that long before now. So he gave in.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Then can you do this for me?”  
  
“If that’s what you really want…”  
  
“I do.”  
  
The mixture of excitement and nervousness that Killian felt was strange, because he had no reason to be either of those things. Sex between him and Bae was nothing new. But the idea that Bae was asking him for something else, something more, that’s what brought the excitement. The nervousness was his worry that it wasn’t what Bae wanted, or maybe it wouldn’t be what he expected. He didn’t know what the boy wanted, he was always so cryptic with everything.   
  
Bae felt the same way, excited for the new experience, and nervous that it wouldn’t be what he was looking for. But there was no turning back for him. He’d already gone out on the ledge. He had to jump. Bae closed the space between them in two easy steps. His hands rested on Killian’s shoulders, pulling him closer as he went up on his toes until they were face to face. After a second’s hesitation, Bae closed his eyes and  pressed his lips to Killian’s.  
  
Having never kissed anyone before, Bae was lacking any kind of technique. He just stayed there, still, waiting. Killian’s lips moved though, after the initial shock of what had happened, and Bae followed his lead. It was soft and gentle, like he sometimes thought it might be when he got caught up wondering about it. Bae felt Killian’s hands, one on his hip and the other on his back, holding him carefully as he pressed his lips more firmly to the teen’s. The hand on his hip found it’s way onto his cheek, and Bae tilted his head into the touch, careful not to break their contact just yet.   
  
His lips parted, and their kissing deepened. Bae was lost in the experience, trying to grasp every feeling that passed through him. The most surprising part to him was that it didn’t feel like he thought it would. Kissing looked strange from a spectator point of view, sometimes messy and mostly uninteresting. His heartbeat quickened when he felt Killian’s tongue touch his, and he craved more. It was intoxicating. The only break they took lasted for the three seconds it took them to move to the bed and they began to undress. If Bae couldn’t reach Killian’s lips, he would kiss his cheek, his chin, anywhere he could reach and Killian did the same.   
  
It was a whirlwind, something so completely different than what Bae was used to, he couldn’t possibly imagine how he’d ever thought it would be the same. It was slow and passionate, and Bae was lost. He wasn’t thinking of his job, or plans he had later, or how soon he could get away. All he could think of was how good everything suddenly felt. Instead of hushing Killian’s loving outbursts, he encouraged them, matching them with his own moans and whispers. His hands clutched at the pillows, the blankets, anything he could reach. But mostly, he held on to Killian, and soon their movements grew faster, instinctual, climbing toward their release. Killian held Bae close as the boy shuddered under him, hearing his own name spilling from the teens lips through a string of moans and hums of satisfaction.   
  
When clarity began to return to Bae, he was still in Killian’s arms, under a sloppily pulled up sheet, and resting his head on the older man’s chest. He didn’t move, or try to pull away. He just rested there, letting the new information that he’d proven to himself, that Killian had proven for him, finally sink in. He felt Killian’s fingertips moving slowly up and down his back, stroking his skin gently as they laid in silence.   
  
“We could never have anything more than this, could we?”  
  
Killian opened his eyes and looked at Bae, thinking about the question he’d been asked, and more particularly, why he’d been asked that.  
  
“Is that what you think?”  
  
“It’s the truth. Even if we were both on board, and we both wanted something else, it would never work. I wouldn’t be able to stop working. Even then, it would probably get you fired, or arrested, or both I guess.”  
  
“If it’s something we both wanted, I would make it work.”  
  
Part of what Bae said had Killian wondering.  
  
“You realize that you don’t have to work for Peter, right?”  
  
Bae shook his head.  
  
“Wendy says that too. But I owe him.”  
  
“You can’t possibly owe him that much.”  
  
Bae didn’t answer, just shook his head slightly, closed his eyes, and sighed.   
  
“Is that what you want, Bae?”  
  
“It never matters what I want. I should’ve known that.”  
  
And now, it was too late for him to change his mind.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next morning, Bae was cold again. He woke up before Killian, and pulled away from him, hating himself for the decision he’d made as he looked at the man sleeping peacefully next to him.. He’d used Killian, used his feelings for his own gain and now he had to move on, and it would be Killian that he ended up hurting. He texted Felix right away, telling the older boy to come pick him up immediately. Bae hoped to be gone before Killian awoke, getting dressed quietly and gathering his things. He crept slowly down the hall so as not to make a sound, making sure to step over the one creeky floorboard. As he lifted his backpack off the couch, the noise he’d been avoiding in the hall startled him, and he looked up to see a ruffled, pajama pants-clad Killian walking into the living room with him.   
  
“You’re sneaking out on me?”  
  
His voice sounded amused, as if he were just teasing Bae. But Bae was serious, which he guessed Killian didn’t realize.  
  
“I have to go. I have to… I just-”  
  
Bae didn’t know what he had to do. But he had to do something, and the first step seemed to be leaving before he caused anymore damage.  
  
“Bae, it’s not even six. Are you alright? Did… Did I do something wrong?”  
  
“No. I did. And now I have to fix it.”  
  
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”  
  
“I can’t see you anymore, Killian.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I broke the rules. I was just out of my head, or something, last night. I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking straight.”  
  
“No, you were, that’s the problem. You were thinking like a normal person should think. Not like Peter makes you think.”  
  
Bae shook his head.   
  
“I’ll tell Peter what I did. I’ll take responsibility. He’ll understand why you aren’t paying.”  
  
Bae’s phone vibrated. He took it from his pocket and saw the message on the screen. It was Felix.  
  
“It wasn’t wrong, Bae. Just stay here and talk to me. Please?”  
  
“Felix is here. I have to go.”  
  
Killian grabbed Bae’s wrist, trying to plead with him some more, wanting him to just talk instead of completely reverting to his old ways. Bae pulled his hand away gently, holding it in his own for a split second.  
  
“I’m sorry Killian.”  
  
Bae let go of his hand, and walked out the front door, leaving Killian to stare at it in bewilderment and wonder just what kind of power Peter held over that boy.   
  



	6. It's Not That Hard Either

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I am sorry guys. Summer got busy and I was out of my mind! But things are quiet again and I've returned to these lovelies. It's actually starting to wrap up to an end! I hope I still have an audience. :P

 

Peter stood by the desk in his office, his lips pulled in a tight line as he looked disapprovingly upon Baelfire where he sat in the chair. Things like this happened from time to time, but that didn’t mean he’d gotten used to it. He should have known Killian would be trouble. He gave that kind of first impression.   
  
“You realize what this means, Baelfire, don’t you?”  
  
Bae sat in the chair a few feet away, staring at the floor. He could see Felix’s feet from where he stood nearby, shuffling from time to time as Peter talked. The teen nodded, ready to accept his punishment and move on.   
  
“Yeah, I know. I already told him I wasn’t going to see him anymore.”  
  
“That’s not all.”  
  
Bae looked up at his boss, wondering what else was coming.   
  
 “What else?”  
  
Peter was quiet for a moment as he thought about what to do. He didn’t want to keep Bae out of business for too long, but he didn’t want him to go off in his unsure state and get attached to someone else again either. He needed reminding of just how much he owed Peter. He had a pretty cushy seat in the organization. Top end, pampered, taken care of. That’s what his punishment was going to be.   
  
“I’m taking you out for he rest of the week. Next week, you start back at the other end of the street.”  
  
“Peter, I can still work my end. I just… it was just him. He got to me. It won’t happen again.”  
  
“That may be the case but the fact that he was able to get to you means that you need to be reminded of your position. And of theirs. They are numbers to us, Bae. That’s all.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
“They don’t want to love you. And as convincing as it might seem, they don’t care. When it comes down to it, they save themselves, they’ll throw you to the wolves.”  
  
Bae sat quietly, and nodded. He wasn’t looking forward to going back to the other end. The money was shit, and so were the customers. Most of them were drunk or high, they smelled, drove terrible cars if they drove at all. That was the easiest place to get roughed up too. Peter always focused more security on that end. Bae had practically started on the high end. He didn’t even know what to really expect.  
  
“Go find something to keep yourself busy. But I don’t want you leaving the building.”  
  
Bae nodded again, and stood to head up to his room.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Killian spent the rest of that day dazed. He was off his game at school, and ghosted through the lessons he had planned just to pass the time before he could come home. His mind was too busy trying to work out what had happened. Bae had finally cracked, or so it seemed. The wall that was constantly surrounding him came down and he didn’t handle it well. It was to be expected, he thought, living the way Bae did. And it all came back to the source when he thought about it. Peter.  
  
He couldn’t figure it out. Those boys outnumbered Peter and his little rag-tag team of security at least three to one. Why did they stay? How could they not see that he was using them? The thoughts distracted him so much so that before he knew it, it was dark, almost eight at night and he still hadn’t even thought of dinner. Once again, he went through the motions while his mind went wild with ideas and theories. He even ventured so far as to wonder if Peter had some kind of magic powers that made people do as he wished. How else would the police know about an operation like that and not touch them? But he wiped away that silly thought in favor of more realistic ideas.  
  
The daze didn’t leave him for a few days. He thought about the situation backwards and forwards, left and right, up and down, so much that it hurt his head every second longer that it occupied his thoughts. His work suffered, and prompted questions from the principal and other teachers. Killian made up an excuse, saying what he felt like could be true. He told them it was a bad breakup. A broken heart. His coworkers sympathized with him. But after almost a week, the principal insisted that he take time to work himself out. He assured Killian they would cover his classes until he got well again.  
  
At home, left to his own devices, his thoughts of confusion turned into anger. He was angry at how Peter was treating those boys, Bae most of all. He was angry that Bae didn’t have an identity of his own, or thoughts of his own for that matter. He’d come undone and when he’d realized, the boy picked up his pieces and ran back to what he thought was safe. What he was brainwashed into thinking was safe.   
  
Killian’s anger reached it’s peak a few days after that, a week after the incident. Calls to Peter went unanswered. He yelled at his voicemail a few times, and soon he wasn’t even able to get the voicemail. It just didn’t work anymore. He wasn’t going to get through with just a phone call. Phone calls didn’t end wars and they certainly weren’t going to remedy this. He would have to go down there, and face the boy king himself.   
  
  
  
  
  
On his first day back, Bae wasn’t himself. He didn’t want to be where he was, on the wrong end of the street next to three other boys, watching the cars that drove by and meeting the eyes that were looking them over. The air felt thick with desperation and seediness, where just a few blocks up he’d felt at home and in control. At the end of the night, he had less than a hundred bucks in his pocket, and had seen as many customers, if not more, than he used to see on a typical night. And the cheap ones were always the worst when it came to manners, respect, or basically treating him like a human being. But he kept his mouth shut as he dropped his nights take off to Peter, not wanting to do anything to make his punishment last even longer.  
  
Peter asked him how it was, but Bae kept any details to himself. He just gave a passive ‘fine’ as an answer, and excused himself to bed. Peter knew Bae didn’t like it. But he was also cautious of the idea of Bae being on the ‘cheap end’. When you pay a lot of money for something, you tended to take care of it. The customers down there were paying for scraps and sometimes tried to treat the boys as such. Which is why he’d also had Felix making rounds to the other end of the street to check on him. He couldn’t let anything happen to one of his best employees. Not again.  
  
  
  
  
  
This punishment went on for three days. Felix kept mentioning how unhappy Bae looked while he worked. In his opinion, the teen had learned his lesson. Peter listened to his love explain that Bae’s attitude would effect the customers. But he felt that underneath the logic, his golden-haired companion secretly missed his banter buddy. Impressed with what Baelfire’s punishment had done to Felix’s attitude, Peter informed Bae that he would be returning to his old spot. He would also be allowed to roam the city once again during his off time.   
  
Baelfire wasn’t expecting it to be lifted so soon, but he didn’t let it go unappreciated. He thanked Peter, twice, promising that he would never need to be sanctioned again. Peter waved him off, knowing that Baelfire would want to run and meet up with his friend Wendy. The boy smirked over to Felix, catching what he thought was the slightest twinge of a smile on the blonde’s lips as Baelfire took his leave to make arrangements with his best friend.   
  
“Well aren’t you becoming fond of our little Baelfire…”  
  
“I am not.”  
  
Felix quickly recovered his stony composure, turning to Peter as he spoke.   
  
“You can’t lie to me.”  
  
Peter walked over to Felix, reaching to adjust his shirt as Felix stared defiantly.   
  
“I’m not lying.”  
  
Peter shook his head, placing a finger on Felix’s cheek and tracing down his jaw.  
  
“Now now. No need to be stubborn. Enjoying the company of others is not a sin, my lion.”  
  
Felix rolled his eyes. He would never understand Peter’s choice of nicknames.  
  
“A battle-scarred lion.”  
  
He replied. And Peter nodded.  
  
“All the better.”  
  
  
  
  
  
Bae had texted Wendy, who was always waiting for an update on when they would be able to hang out again. She was so excited to hear that he’d been released from his punishment, mostly because she was concerned with Baelfire’s mood while he was in trouble. Wendy was on summer vacation from school, so they were no longer restricted to meeting only on Sundays. They made plans to meet that evening, since Bae wouldn’t be working.  
  
After he’d gotten ready to go, Bae left the building and headed to catch the Subway to Manhattan. He met Wendy as she was coming down the stairs from the Brownstone her family owned. She laughed cheerfully, waving as she saw him coming. He caught her in a hug at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
“I’m free again!”   
  
Bae laughed as she squeezed him. She pulled back, taking his shoulders and looking over him.  
  
“I feel like it’s been ages since I saw you last.”  
  
The girl laughed, finally letting Bae go.   
  
“I know. It’s crazy.”  
  
Movement in the window caught the eyes of the two teens, and they looked up to see Mr. Darling looking out at them, mostly at Baelfire, examining him with an air of distain. Bae smiled and waved, and Mr. Darling wrinkled his mustache a bit, nodding curtly, then left the window. Bae and Wendy laughed, then Wendy took his arm in hers and lead them in the direction of their favorite café.  
  
They ordered their coffees and took their spot on the couch. Wendy took a while to fill Bae in on some summer gossip from her school friends. He always liked hearing about the latest shenanigans that happened in her school. For a private school, there was plenty of scandal and debauchery. Once he was thoroughly filled in, Wendy thought to ask how Bae was doing. Specifically, with one aspect of his life.  
  
“Have you spoken to him?”  
  
Bae’s attitude shifted. It had been hard for him to pretend that Killian meant nothing. He’d wanted to appease Peter, but he also missed the sweet teacher that he’d grown used to seeing.   
  
“No.”  
  
Wendy frowned. She’d been so excited for Bae and his budding feelings for Killian. She knew that it was unlikely to work out for them with their age difference, but she couldn’t help but want for Baelfire to experience normal things like emotions and relationships.   
  
“Has he tried to talk to you?”  
  
“He has no way to. He only has Peter’s number. Not mine.”  
  
“Has he asked Peter about you.”  
  
“I don’t know. I can’t ask him.”  
  
“Bae…”  
  
“I can’t, Wendy. I can’t risk it. Without Peter I would have nowhere to go. No job. No money. No friends.”  
  
“You would have me. And I’ll be finished high school after this year and moving out to go to college. You could stay with me. And then we can find you a regular job.”  
  
“It’s not that easy.”  
  
“It’s not that hard either.”  
  
Bae didn’t answer right away. He’d thought of Killian often since they had last met, when he’d gone and messed everything up. And then he’d just left. He knew it hurt Killian, he knew of the man’s feelings for him and he’d exploited it for his own selfishness. So in his time away, he’d just reassured himself time and again that Killian probably didn’t want to see him. It would just remind him of his heartbreak.   
  
Wendy didn’t tempt upsetting her friend anymore, and changed the subject to something less serious. They went back to sipping their coffee, and eventually Bae was smiling again. They were people watching, commenting on things they saw, making impressions of the people they saw walking by the windows and giggling amongst themselves.   
  
Their night went smoothly from then on. They got more coffee, ate too many snacks, and eventually it was time for Wendy to return home. Baelfire walked with her all the way to her doorstep where she gave him one more big hug.  
  
“I missed you.”  
  
“I missed you too.”  
  
Bae gave her a squeeze.   
  
“I’ll text you tomorrow.”  
  
Wendy let go of him and nodded. She walked up the steps to her door, turning to wave at him once more before she went inside. Once the door was closed behind Wendy, Bae turned to walk back to the subway. On the train ride back to Peter’s block, Bae’s thoughts wandered inevitable back to Killian. He wondered how the man was doing, how much he hated him, if he had actually tried to contact Peter.   
  
Was Wendy right? Could he really make an attempt at being normal? He knew he wouldn’t be in his current occupation for long. He would be aging out in just two years. Shouldn’t he have some kind of plan? Or at the very least he should be used to living outside of his comfort zone. So he half decided as they got to his stop that once Wendy left her parents’ home and got her own apartment, he would take her up on her offer and make an attempt at normal.  
  
  
  
  
  
Baelfire walked down the alley toward the building, nodding or saying a quick ‘hi’ to any of the boys that noticed him on his way down the street. Seeing the stairs that lead to the front door, he noticed someone else was going up. He assumed it was another boy at first, but slowed down just a bit when he realized the person was too tall to be one of them. He also realized he recognized that silhouette. It was Killian.   
  
The bewilderment that struck him stunned him, and he was frozen in place for at least a few seconds before he sped up, realizing that Killian had just walked into the building. This wouldn’t be good. He ran up the stairs and let himself in, eyes scanning for Killian. But he was too late. He saw Killian making a b-line directly into Peter’s office.  
  
“Where is he?”  
  
Baelfire heard as he approached, terrified of how this was going to go down.   
  
“Who?”  
  
He heard Peter answer as he waited just outside the door, listening in.  
  
“Don’t play games with me. You know who. Where is Baelfire?”  
  
“Which Baelfire?”  
  
Peter sounded sarcastic as always. Killian sounded agitated. What did he want him for? He supposed he did deserve to get a good tongue lashing for what he’d done. Maybe that’s what Killian wanted. His thoughts were interrupted by Felix peeking out of the door, looking directly at him like he’d sensed him standing out there. He took Bae by the arm and brought him inside, then closed the door.   
  
Killian turned around, and his features went lax as he saw Bae. Bae noticed that, and also the look of Peter as he stared at Killian. He didn’t like to be challenged, especially by adults. Felix let go of Baelfire’s arm, and returned to stand near Peter.   
  
“Oh, that Baelfire.”  
  
Peter smirked, not ready to give in and play nice at all.   
  
“What are you doing here?”  
  
Baelfire finally spoke up, looking at Killian. His voice didn’t come out as strong as he planned for it to. The man’s gaze made him weak, made his chest flutter. Stupid emotions. He’d let them in and now they wouldn’t leave him alone.   
  
“I… I came to get you.”  
  
“Get him? And do what?”  
  
Peter interrupted, stealing Killian’s attention away from Bae.  
  
“And take him away from this place. You’re exploiting him and all these other boys. You’re no savior. You do exactly what you promise to protect them from. They don’t trust anyone because of you. They have no feelings. And when they do feel something they think it’s bad. You’re destroying them and I won’t let you do that to him.”  
  
Peter let Killian go on with his rant until he was finished. Bae stood there, stunned at Killian’s answer.  
  
“I don’t think you have an army big enough to walk into my kingdom and take something of mine.”  
  
“I don’t need an army to beat you. I already have the advantage.”  
  
“And what advantage is that?”  
  
“Love. I love him. Unlike you ever could, or would pretend to. He’s better than all of this. Better than the likes of you. He deserves the world and more.”  
  
“You think you could give him that?”  
  
“I would try.”  
  
Baelfire’s mouth felt awfully dry. He stared at the floor, unable to look either of the others in the eye. He didn’t know what to say even if he could. Was this really happening? It was overwhelming. His mind was going back and forth. Killian loved him. But Peter had taken care of him. Killian wanted to take him away. But he owed Peter so much. Killian thought he was special. But so did Peter. Didn’t he? Peter’s sharp laugh cut the silence that had fallen over the room.  
  
“Dear naïve Killian. Baelfire doesn’t love you back. You were a customer. You paid him to love you. That’s what prostitutes are. That’s what this relationship was. The fact that you got yourself lost in these fantasies is your own fault.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Yes. You were just a job to him. And we made quite a bit of money off of you. It was nice while it lasted. But now it’s over. You’re no longer a welcome customer.”  
  
“I’m not leaving without him.”  
  
“He’s not leaving!”  
  
Peter’s yell echoed through the room. Even Felix flinched slightly, glancing over to his boss. He hadn’t seen him lose his cool like this since… well, it had been a while.   
  
“He made a deal with me. He’s mine until he’s eighteen. He owes me.”  
  
“Then I’ll pay you what he owes. Just give me a number.”  
  
Peter laughed again. As if it were that easy.  
  
“So you want to buy him? That sounds like the start of an amazing relationship. I just gave you your number. Eighteen.”  
  
“Who made you so cruel?”  
  
Killian struck a nerve, one that not many people were able to find. Peter eyes were practically glowing with anger as he stared at the adult.   
  
“You’ll never have him. He won’t even remember you after two more years. You don’t deserve him! You don’t even have a good rescue plan. You just come in here spouting off with nothing to back you up. He’s not getting out early. No one gets out early!”  
  
Except one.

 

 

 

The memory of it still haunted Peter sometimes, startling him awake from a peaceful sleep and making him reach around in the darkness until his hand met soft skin covering sharp bones. Felix. His treasure. His lion. His love. Felix had entrapped his dark little heart since he’d first walked into Peter’s building. He was lost, just as the rest of them were. But he was young and so very handsome with his long blonde hair and pointy features. He would be a perfect fit in Peter’s business.   
  
Felix excelled in his work, if not for a few attitude complaints. Soon he was top of the line, head boy, Peter’s prized employee. And Peter’s lover. The only of his boys Peter had ever taken to his bed. Peter’s security at the time wasn’t as precise. He was more lax with his rules, especially when keeping tabs on who the boys left with. It was an ordinary night. A Wednesday, in fact, which was normally a boring night. Peter was in his office, trying to find a way to remedy a rooming situation that had come up as two of the boys had stopped getting along and needed to be moved to different rooms until he could solve the problem.   
  
He didn’t even notice how late it was until one of the boys came in with four words, just four, that completely terrified the fearless leader.  
  
“Felix hasn’t come back.”  
  
Peter stared for a second, letting the words process before he stood up.  
  
“How long has he been gone?”  
  
“A few hours. He went to meet someone at the hotel. But what the guy asked for… he should be back by now.”  
  
Peter gathered his security, telling them to get all of the boys back to their rooms. He took two of his best and went to the hotel. He could see the flashing lights from down the block, and his heart felt smothered. The boys ran ahead of him, but they were stopped by two police officers, keeping them from crossing the yellow tape that surrounded one of the rooms and part of the parking lot. There was blood on the sidewalk, on the pavement, used bandages and gauze that were stained red lying everywhere, and no sign of Felix.  
  
“Where is he?”  
  
Peter demanded as he pushed his way between the boys and faced the two officers.   
  
“I said you have to stay back.”  
  
“Look at me!”  
  
Peter yelled, gaining the attention of the larger of the two men. As their eyes met, the officer seemed confused, and then looked as if he’d come to the realization that he knew who he was talking to.  
  
“Where is he?”  
  
“They took him to St. Anthony’s.”  
  
The policeman answered without a fight, leaving the other officer looking at him puzzled.  
  
“Who did it?”  
  
“Don’t know yet.”  
  
Peter turned away, motioning for the boys to follow him. “Go back to the boys. Ask them all if they saw who Felix left with. Gather as much information as you can. If you figure out who it was, bring him to me.”  
  
The boys nodded, and ran back down the street toward their block. Peter hailed a cab and told the man to take him to the hospital.  
  
At St. Anthony’s, Peter went straight through the doors of the emergency room, looking around at empty beds. A nurse met him before he could get far.   
  
“Sir, you can’t be in here.”  
  
“I’m looking for the boy they brought in from the hotel. He’s tall. He has long blond hair.”  
  
“Sir, really, I can’t tell you anyth-”  
  
Peter took her by the arm, meeting her gaze with his.   
  
“Take me to him.”  
  
“Right this way, sir.”  
  
She answered almost cheerfully, turning to lead him down the hall and around the corner. He was terrified of what he was going to find. The nurse stopped, checking the chart before opening the door for Peter. He hesitated, taking a deep breath before he walked inside.   
  
The room was chilled and silent. The lights were dimmed almost to the point of being off.  
  
“Felix?”  
  
Peter spoke and heard a shaky inhale come from the dim room. As his eyes adjusted, he could see a form sitting on the bed.   
  
“Felix, it’s me. It’s Peter. Where’s the light switch?”  
  
“Please don’t…”  
  
Felix was crying, Peter could hear it in the way he spoke. It broke his heart.   
  
“I have to. I need to see you. I was so worried…”  
  
Felix was quiet again, softly sniffling. He took a tissue to wipe the tears from his face, whimpering slightly as he accidentally pulled at one of his bandages.  
  
Peter couldn’t take it. He saw what he thought was the switch on the wall and flicked it on, flooding the room with bright, sterile fluorescent light. Felix turned away from him, his hair blocking any view of his face as Peter stepped closer to the bed. There were bruises and angry marks on his pale skin, up and down his arms, on his neck, everywhere Peter could see. He couldn’t imagine what the rest of his body looked like.   
  
“I should have known… He wasn’t right, I should have just..”  
  
Felix tried to explain and Peter shushed him.  
  
Peter reached for Felix’s hand. The blonde jerked it away, another ragged breath leading to a sob before he relaxed again, letting Peter take his hand. Peter sat down on the edge of the bed, holding his love’s hand gently. His knuckles were bruised and swollen. He must have put up a fight.   
  
As they sat quietly, Peter slowly reached with his other hand to move Felix’s hair behind his ear, revealing what the other had been trying to hide from him. His face was bruised, his eye blackened. Peter couldn’t see the other eye. It was covered with a bandage. Another bandage covered his forehead. Another on his nose, and following down his cheek. He could see the blood had already begun to seep through parts of the covering.   
  
“What did he do to you?”  
  
Peter whispered in wonderment. What could Felix have possibly done to deserve this? Nothing was the answer. Nothing deserved this kind of treatment, especially not his lion. He let go of Felix’s hand and carefully placed his hands on either side of Felix’s face. His fingers barely touched him, handling him like porcelain as he looked upon his broken boy.   
  
Tears fell down Felix’s cheeks again as Peter stared at him. All he could feel was disappointment in himself for letting Peter down. He would never work again. Peter wouldn’t want him anymore. He was done.  
  
“He made me hideous.”  
  
Peter shook his head fiercely as he looked at Felix.  
  
“You could never be hideous, my love.”  
  
Felix broke down again into quiet sobbing, resting his head on Peter’s chest and wrapping his arms around the other boy’s waist. Peter just held him, stroking his hair and shushing him softly. They spent some time like that until a doctor came in. He tried to explain that Felix needed rest and that Peter should go, but a look from Peter and a few words changed his mind and he fully explained Felix’s treatment. They had used butterfly bandages instead of stitches so that hopefully the scar wouldn’t be too noticeable. Felix scoffed. As if they could make it worse.   
  
They kept him for almost a week before they allowed Peter to take him home. Felix fell into a depression, staying in Peter’s room constantly, not talking, barely eating. The cops had found out who the man that had done it was, which was leaked to the Lost Boys, and then to Peter. Soon the man was in his possession before the police found him. He suffered a great deal more than Peter assumed Felix had. That was what Peter wanted. He wasn’t heard from again when Peter was done.  
  
Felix’s attitude was never the same. Peter had moved him to security, giving him a purpose in hopes of getting him out of his depression. But he wasn’t going to have Felix working the street ever again. Felix surprised himself when he found that he liked his new position. He felt more like Peter’s equal, heading their security and making sure everyone was accounted for. He even helped Peter figure out the license plate tracking system.   
  
None of his boys would get lost ever again, thanks to Felix.


	7. You'll Win In The End Either Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion of the story that is long overdue.

 

Between Peter and Killian, the yelling was overwhelming in the closed office. Bae was confused. He didn’t know who he was supposed to be cheering for. It hadn’t been that long since he had ended the arrangement with Killian. The feelings that he had pulled to the surface weren’t completely covered yet but neither was the fear of having to live without Peter’s protection.  
  
“Stop!”  
  
Everyone in the room was quiet, and three sets of eyes were on Bae after he yelled.  
  
“I just.. Please stop.”  
  
He was so mentally exhausted from going back and forth, from trying to please Peter and trying to figure out Killian and also trying to find out what he wanted for himself that anymore added on top felt like it would crush him.  
  
Peter walked over to Baelfire, looming over him as the younger boy closed his eyes and tried to clear his head.  
  
“Is there something you’d like to say, Bae?”  
  
Peter’s tone wasn’t happy, not at all. He didn’t like upsets in his business and this was turning out to be a great big one. The power he had in this world wasn’t nearly what he was used to. This place wasn’t built for someone like him and his power over people only lasted so long before it had to be reaffirmed.  
  
Bae finally opened his eyes again and looked up at Peter.  
  
“I don’t know what I want. I never wanted to know what I wanted because all that mattered was what you wanted. And for the past two years that was fine by me. But…”  
  
“But now you’re in love, is that it?”  
  
Peter interrupted sarcastically.  
  
Bae shook his head, and shrugged.  
  
“Even if I was, I wouldn’t know. Because all I have to compare it to is this job.”  
  
“This job that has put food in your belly and clothes on your back since you left that conniving father of yours. I’ve given you everything, Baelfire. I took you when no one wanted you and I made you what you are today.”  
  
“You aren’t the only one that wants him anymore.”  
  
It was Killian that interrupted that time, earning a glare from Peter.  
  
“You don’t want him. You want the idea of him. You want a pretty young face to come home to at night so you can stop being so alone and boring.”  
  
Peter sneered at Killian, who dared to interrupt him.  
  
“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to want?”  
  
Baelfire spoke up and Peter’s attention was back on him, as was Killian’s, because it was something so out of the ordinary for Baelfire to say. He marveled at the little things that had changed in Bae’s attitude since the first day they met.  
  
“Someone to come home to, someone to watch tv with and eat dinner with. Someone who cares about you and makes you happy even if it means giving up something that makes them happy…”  
  
Baelfire shrugged a little bit. He couldn’t tell if he was convincing Peter or himself with that description. Although if he were in the habit of admitting things like that, he would say it had worked pretty well on himself.  
  
“You can have all that nonsense when you aren’t working for me anymore.”  
  
Peter said coldly.  
  
“Peter.”  
  
A voice that hadn’t been heard in the room in quite a while spoke up. Felix’s voice was softer than usual when he said the eldest boy’s name. It always was. And it always had a way of getting Peter’s attention, even if he was brimming with anger, he would still look to his lover’s call.  
  
“Let him go.”  
  
Felix’s command was simple enough, but held such power. Even Bae was astonished that he would say such a thing to Peter, and he was even more shocked that Peter didn’t seem angry at all.  
  
“Felix, it’s not the time…”  
  
“It is. Obviously it is. He’s been with you for long enough. He’s made you enough money. And another one always comes along who is just as good, if not better. That was me once, remember?”  
  
Peter stood up straight, stepping away from Bae and pursing his lips. Killian didn’t know what was going on. Bae was just wondering how long Peter was going to let Felix go on like this.  
  
“Bae’s asking for his own choice, a chance at a life outside of the job. If there wasn’t something really going on with him, why would he even ask?”  
  
Felix questioned, then pointed to Killian.  
  
“And we’ve talked about him plenty. Why would he go out on a limb like this, and risk everything to come down here and cause trouble with you? There has to be something behind that, right?”  
  
Bae was pretty sure this is the most he had ever heard Felix say. Ever. And it was all in his favor, against Peter.  
  
“Felix, I don’t understand. I thought you were on my team? You’re my partner in all of this. It should mean as much to you as it does to me.”  
  
Peter sounded almost hurt that Felix was defying him. Baelfire and Killian were still watching the two exchanging words, with some sort of invisible magnetism drawing them closer together because before they knew it they were just a few inches apart.  
  
“The only thing that means more to me than all of this is you. You gave me a chance, and you gave me love and everything worked out perfectly. Why not let Bae have that chance too? You’ll win in the end either way.”  
  
The room fell silent after Felix’s last comment. Killian was looking at Bae. Bae was staring at Felix. Felix’s gaze was on his love. Peter was looking back and forth between all three of them. The fact that if was Felix telling him all of this, Felix who had never even shown a friendly bone toward Bae in public, was the one telling Peter to let him have what he wanted. Or, what Killian wanted, that was. Bae had never said what he wanted. So Peter looked at Bae.  
  
“Baelfire. Do you want to leave?”  
  
The questions was soft, not angry sounding like Bae would have expected. But he was hesitant in his answer. Is that what he wanted? He didn’t know. His mind raced to clips of conversations; Wendy encouraging him to leave Peter and pursue his own happiness, Bae himself trying to convince Killian that even if he wanted it they could never have a real relationship, Killian telling him that he would make it work if Bae wanted him to.  
  
Bae looked at Killian, who was still looking at him. He stared at the older man, as if he was waiting for some kind of sign telling him what the right answer was. The way the man gazed at him, the way he had pursued him from the start, accepting whatever little bit Baelfire would offer him just to spend time with him, Baelfire knew Killian had meant what he said. That he cared for Bae, and that he would make it work of Bae would just try. He just didn’t know why, and this seemed like the opportunity to find out.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Baelfire spoke his answer softly. Whatever happened, he just reminded himself that he couldn’t fail. Leaving Peter was risky but Killian said he would make it work. And he knew Wendy wouldn’t let him fall, no matter what. The change in expression on Killian’s face upon hearing it told Bae that it was worth a shot.  
  
Peter took a breath, holding it in as he examined Baelfire after his answer, and then finally, he sighed. He was about to do something he had never done before. He was going to give in, and he had a certain blonde haired boy to thank for tarnishing his reputation.  
  
“Then you’re free to leave. You can take your belongings.”  
  
Bae looked at Peter and Felix, wondering what had just happened. He was free to go. Really? It seemed like it. Baelfire didn’t hesitate in going to his room and packing his bag with everything he owned, then he returned downstairs to find that Killian was waiting by the front door. Baelfire stopped in Peter’s doorway one last time, seeing Peter leaning on his desk with Felix leaning beside him, his hand carefully placed over Peter’s on the edge of the desk.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
Baelfire said, meaning it for the both of them. Peter raised his eyebrows a little, and Felix nodded. Accepting that that was the best he was going to get from Peter, he went to meet Killian at the door, and they walked out together.  
  
  
  


  
  
Things had definitely not gone easily for Killian and Baelfire at first. Killian had put in his resignation at his school and put in notice with his building that he would be moving. They needed a fresh start, somewhere they could blend in and no one would recognize them.  
  
Baelfire had chosen their destination, which was conveniently located close to the school Wendy was now attending as a college freshman. It was also not far from Killian’s mother so he could still keep up his visits with her. No one in the neighborhood knew them and Bae was passed off easily as Killian’s nephew to anyone who asked.  
  
Killian, using his old school as a reference, got a new job at a charter school in the area. He had encouraged Baelfire to return to school and they had tried. But Baelfire had missed too much school to return to classes. So instead, he was signed up for study classes to prepare him for a GED. He and Wendy had a lot more time to hang out even while keeping their Sunday ritual at a new coffee shop.  
  
Once they all found their speed, it was like clockwork. Perfect clockwork with all the parts moving in the right direction. Bae would go to class. Killian went to work. And at the end of the day, he and Bae would meet in their modest apartment and have nice, boring dinners with each other and watch movies while talking through all of the boring parts and arguing over who chose the last weekend adventure they took in preparation for the next. It was a very simple, very domestic life. And neither Killian nor Bae could remember ever being happier.

  
The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I let this go for far too long. I'll confess I lost my creative spirit for these two for a while after I stopped watching the show and my stories suffered for it. I watched a movie recently that reminded me a lot of this story, like a lot. If anymore details had been the same I would have been calling a copyright lawyer ;) But it renewed my love for these two and I knew I had to give them an ending. It's not as long and detailed as it might have been back when I was actually staying current with this but I feel like everyone is covered, even if a lot of the elements are left unexplained. Mainly, Peter's magic, which I was going to explain a lot more originally. I tried to get the gist of it in there though. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks to all of you who were reading this, and to anyone who was waiting this long for the ending because you guys deserve a medal!


End file.
